A/N: This is the last of my prewritten chapters. I'm working on another but it may be a bit because I have other stories I want to write as well. Sorry for taking so long to post this. I also have an account on archiveofourown under the name Wheel_of_Argos, which I update a little more consistently because it's easier to post, so you're welcome to hop over there to read my stories as well!
Shouta Aizawa was studying a roster of his class. The purpose for his close scrutiny wasn't memorization - he would be disqualified as a teacher if he didn't know his students' names at the end of the first semester - but to better visualize their strengths and, more importantly, their weaknesses. The USJ incident had been a very clear message to the faculty that they needed to step up their game harder and earlier, hence why the final exam was being changed.
Most of the pairs were painfully obvious and already decided. Todoroki and Yaoyorozu, one who relied too much on his quirk and another who had lost her confidence in her natural leadership and strategic talents, would face himself, forcing them to address the weakness they had so far succeeded in hiding behind their quirks. Ashido and Kaminari would have to deviate from their straight-forward attack patterns when put against the terror of the principal. No. 13's Black Hole was a natural counter to Uraraka's anti-gravity touch and Aoyama's laser, as was Ectoplasm's clones against Tokoyami's Dark Shadow, who would be paired with the ever-stoic Asui. Jirou's earphone jacks and Koda's Anivoice would have to be used carefully against the drowning noise of Present Mic and Kirishima's and Satou's natural endurance limits would be tested against Cementoss. Sero's and Mineta's restraining quirks would test their mettle against Midnight while Power Loader's control over the ground would half the effectiveness of Iida and Ojirou's fighting styles. Hagakure's and Shoji's battle against Snipe would push their surveillance and reaction times to the max, and that left just two students.
Hitoshi Shinsou had been a problem case since day one. He had barely managed to eke out enough points in the practical by brainwashing other contestants and there had been an argument among some of the evaluators if those points were really his. Aizawa thought the argument was pointless, brainwashing was the boy's quirk, it didn't matter if the fist or quirk that destroyed the robots wasn't his if he had ordered the attacker to attack. He had been accepted and after his abysmal results in Aizawa's orientation-skipping fitness test (not that he hadn't put in a good amount of effort), the Erasure hero had taken it upon himself to train him in martial arts to make up for his quirk's non-combative nature. But the boy had distanced himself from the rest of class 1-A in a self-created division from being the only student whose quirk couldn't be used as some form of direct attack. It seemed that Shinsou had opened up somewhat after the words Ojirou had said to him after the tailed boy had defeated him in the first one-on-one match, but he was still reluctant to work with others. He needed a situation where he had no choice but to rely on teamwork.
And then there was Katsuki Bakugo, a boy with a drive and passion to be the best, and the talent to back it up. But he was socially crude and relied on himself before he relied on others. He had shown an uncanny ability to lead and inspire during the cavalry battle but Aizawa had yet to see it again. The boy lacked someone he could call a rival, someone he could stand on equal ground with and who would drag him back to his classmates willingly. The obvious choice would be Todoroki, but the son of Endeavor had his own problems and just didn't have that click with the explosion user. Kirishima had managed to form a friendship with Bakugo, but he didn't have that competitive edge that came from the same goal. Kirishima had something to prove to himself while Bakugo already possessed that confidence, perhaps too much of it.
And something had been on Bakugo's mind since the sports festival. It wasn't something easily seen, but Aizawa had been on the underground side of heroics too long to miss it. Bakugo was aiming towards something on top of being the number one hero, and the boy knew exactly what it was. He had been pushing himself even farther, even training his quirk - something their homeroom teacher had been both impressed and surprised by as that particular part of heroics barely ever came to their students' minds until it was spelled out for them. And though it wasn't enough to be concerned about yet, the boy had become more reckless, too focused. What he needed the most from this test was for the object of his goal, the current number one hero, to show him the true scope of the greatest hero that went beyond pure strength.
Aizawa grouped the two troublesome kids together and pitted them against All Might.
"Wait, so let me get this straight," I said. "An underground dealer is bringing some recruits and you've known about this for at least half a week and you're only telling me now, when they're a hundred feet away from the door?"
"It's impressive that you sensed them a hundred feet away," Kurogiri said. "You've been keeping up with your training, little miss."
"Don't try to change the subject, Kurogiri," I deadpanned. "You kept it from me on purpose."
Kurogiri raised his hands in a defensive gesture at the finger I was shoving at him, "We didn't want to-"
"Any excuse you make will be shallow, Kurogiri," I said over the shadow warper. "Stop treating me like a little girl, I can handle myself!"
"But recent events have-" Kurogiri would have continued this conversation that was rapidly dwindling in civility, but a knocking at the door cut him off, announcing our guests. I held my mask up to my face but lowered it when I saw it was Giran. The dealer had proctored many transactions for my father and already knew what I looked like.
"Hello again, Mr. Shigaraki and Ms. Midoriya," he said as he entered. "Your League's been the talk of the town for days on end. Everyone's buzzing over how something huge is about to begin." Giran held the door open for two people to walk in, a young adult male and a teenage girl. The male was tall but thin and had patches of burned flesh held on by surgical staples. The girl was dressed in a high school sailor outfit and the blond hair she loosely restrained in two buns was as wild as her eyes.
"Seeing you in the flesh," the man said. "You look creepy as (2)ll." That comment was directed at Tomura, obviously.
"Woah, you're buddies of the Great Stainy, right?!" the girl said excitedly, pumping her arms up and down from the elbows. "Tell me you are! Let me join, too, let me join the villain alliance!" I chuckled in the back of my throat. These two had personality, if nothing else.
I could feel Tomura trembling in anger and smirked. This could be fun.
"Kurogiri, fling these f(92)ckers off somewhere," Tomura scowled. "It seems like the two types I hate the most came as a g(8)dd(95)n set: a snot-nosed little sh(53)t and some (33)shat who doesn't understand respect."
"Now, now," Kurogiri attempted to placate. "Our guests went through all the trouble of coming here. If nothing else, let us at least hear what they have to say, Shigaraki Tomura."
"Besides, Giran knows what he's doing," I put my two cents in. "Ignoring his hand-picked selection would be stupider than you scratching your own backside. And we'd be paying the service fee for nothing." I tossed a tied plastic grocery bag Kurogiri had taken from underneath the counter to Giran, knowing it contained his payment.
The man caught it and gave a smile turned into a smirk by the cigarette in his mouth, "Why thank you, little miss. And you would be right, these two leave quite the impression." He gestured to the girl, "First up, this cute little high school girl. The media is keeping her name and face under thorough wraps as she's on the run as the suspect for serial blood-draining murders."
The girl took over for herself, giving a wide smile that showed her pointed canines. "My name's Toga, Toga Himiko! Life is hard, and I'd like for a world that's easier to live in! I wanna become the great Stainy! I wanna kill Stainy! So c'mon, let me join you guys!"
"I have no idea what you just said," Tomura deadpanned. "You a loon or what?"
"Don't worry, she can hold conversation, more or less," Giran defended his recruit. "And she'll surely come in handy. Next up, this man has committed no crimes that have stood out, but he's taken to the Hero Killer's ideals quite a bit." If he hadn't committed any notable crimes, how did Giran find him? Did the guy search him out?
"I don't know about this," the guy said. "Does this group really follow a cause? You're not actually going to let this insane chick join, are you?"
"Woah there," Tomura said. "Even the batsh(53)t crazy little sh(53)t over there managed to spit out her name. You're a proper adult, aren't you?" If now wasn't the time to tease, I'd be wiping away imaginary tears and saying 'Tomura's all grown up' at the physical restraint I was seeing in him. Being able to annoy Tomura so easily only made these guys look better in my eyes.
"Right now, I go by Dabi," he said. Either this guy has a serious case of chuunibyou or he's got some secrets. I was betting on the latter.
"I don't want what you go by," Tomura said. "I want your real name."
"I'll tell you when I need to," Dabi retorted. "In any case, I'll be the one to fulfill the Hero Killer's will." I wondered what the 'Hero Killer's will' meant to this person, what it embodied. And there was something about Dabi's eyes, there was something in them I had seen before. But I couldn't remember where.
Tomura stood up, "There's no need to run your mouth about sh(53)t I never asked for. Will anybody shut up about Stain already? Stain this, Stain that…'' I realized Tomura's gloves were in a little pile on the counter. I grabbed his arm, stopping him from stepping forward and doing something that would have been stupid.
"Don't," I said. "We need the manpower they can offer." And power these two had. Toga had a knife hidden in her hand, wielded with an ease that told she knew how to use it, and Dabi's hands were smoking, evidence of a quirk strong enough to burn his own skin. "Your little stunt in Hosu brought eyes on us."
"Shut up," Tomura said angrily, shaking off my hand. But his tone was resigned, Tomura knew when to put childishness away when it counted. He grabbed his gloves and stalked off further into the building, preventing the chance of doing something he would regret.
The two recruits were looking at me. I performed an excessive bow to the girl's amusement and the guy's raised eyebrow. "Tomura's a little moody sometimes, but he understands our position so he removed himself before he let his temper best him. We'd love to have you both on board but don't want to force you. We prefer the results an alliance can bring."
"Might you give us a response in the next few days?" Kurogiri asked. "I'm certain we'll come to an understanding, both you fine folk and ourselves."
"Ooh, I like the idea of an alliance," Toga said, eyes lighting up. "I can make lots of friends." She stepped forward, leaning into my personal space, but I made sure not to react, only following her with my eyes. Finally, she stepped back, her grin even wider, and started pumping her arms again.
"I know you, you're the Green Lady, aren't ya?" she said.
"Green Lady?" I repeated, unfamiliar with the term.
"The third core member of the League of Villains," Dabi spoke up. "Even without the mask, the hair's a give away."
"Wait, that's what they're calling me?!" I wrinkled my nose in disgust when Toga nodded enthusiastically in affirmative. "That is so unoriginal. I should've just given them a name."
"You know what, you're a cutie!" Toga exclaimed, bouncing forward and booping my freckles. I flinched back in surprise and put a little more distance between myself and the creepy hyperactive teenager. "I wonder what you'd look like all beat-up and bloody?! Why do ya cover up your cute face with a mask? It's such a shame." Yeah, I'm gonna ignore that first question in favor of my sanity.
"A girl's gotta have her secrets," I quipped in a not so subtle 'drop it'.
"Oh boo," Toga pouted, crossing her arms.
I looked at Dabi, who was watching the interaction with faint interest and amusement. "Just like a guy's gotta have his, right?" I said. Dabi blinked, a little surprised, then smiled a small grin and chuckled lightly with a small nod (entry for Villain Analysis Number 1062: Dabi does indeed possess the ability to smile). The atmosphere between us lightened a little and I felt a little less uncomfortable. In the underworld, the company was bound to be 'bad' but it looked like our new allies weren't the worst.
"Well, I'm gonna head out now, little miss," Giran said, pulling his scarf a little tighter around his neck. "I've got clients waiting."
"Thanks for bringing them, Giran," I waved at the man.
"Yes, you have our gratitude," Kurogiri said. "And if you happen to stumble across any others that catch your eye, we'd offer the same payment."
"I'll keep my eyes peeled, Misty," Giran said, moving towards the door.
"Ah! My father might put in an order for more chemicals in a few weeks," I remembered. "The stocks were getting a little low last time I checked."
"Thanks for the heads up, little miss," Giran said with a wave. "A little warning's always a good thing with that guy." We shared a smile before he left, I knew what he meant.
"So what do you think?" I asked the two remaining with a smile.
"I'm on board!" Toga chirped. "This looks like a load of fun!"
"I'll see what I think after a few days of watching," Dabi responded. The relaxing of his stance told more than his words. I smiled, excited for the change that was to come with the company, even if the girl had no sense of personal space and the guy was as closed off as my father.
"Well, come on then," I said, motioning for them to follow me further into the building. "We'll get you guys set up with your own rooms. All but three are up for grabs as we own the whole building."
Neither had much luggage because they were previously on the run or, as was probable in Dabi's case, homeless. We had inflatable mattresses to use as beds but not much else needed to accommodate two more residents, so I decided a supply run was in order. Clothes were more picky than bedsheets or toiletries so I needed to bring Toga and Dabi along. I let out - and brushed - Toga's hair and gave her a piece of gum to keep her mouth closed and not in a telltale psychotic grin then settled for handing Dabi a simple mask. He wasn't infamous as it was and we didn't have much that could hide the burns on his forearms and shins, plus I had the distinct feeling that he was already disguised.
I dragged the two with me to Kamino Mall. Well, I say dragged, but both were more than willing to get some extra possessions, especially if they didn't have to pay. Dabi got several sets of loose clothing (better for his burns) and a pair of actual shoes, not sandals, and I cleared the pharmacy of their supply of burn medicines. Luckily, it was easy to steer Toga away from her school uniform (that clash of innocence with her mentality disturbed me) and she happily accepted anything cute as long as it had oversized sleeves. That was logical, they helped to hide her knife.
We were just about to head back when Toga started a conversation that stopped me in my tracks.
"You're just like me, aren't ya, Greenie?" she said. I had asked both of them to refrain from using my name when we were in public and the sociopath had taken the opportunity to give me a nickname. "There's somebody you lo~ove, right?"
I stopped and stared at Toga, who was somehow managing to sport her psychotic grin even while chewing the gum. "What?"
"There's somebody who's got a tight grip on your heart," she explained without explanation. "I can tell 'cause you're just like me."
"You've got a crush on someone?" I asked, attempting to deflect the conversation because I had no clue what she was thinking. I had as much chance of being in love with someone as Kacchan did becoming a villain. Thinking of the feisty blonde brought a sad smile to my face. It had been nice to see him again, even if it was painful.
"Aha!" Toga grabbed my attention again, pointing a finger barely an inch away from my face. "There it is, that's what Toga's talking about!"
"And I have no idea what you're talking about," I deadpanned, unconsciously readjusting my backpack. Toga zeroed in on said object like a cat on a mouse.
"What do ya got in here?" she asked rhetorically as she undid the main zipper. I tried to duck away from her searching hands but they clutched at the object inside and extracted my All Might doll.
Dabi, who had just a moment before looked like he was going to tell Toga off, fell victim to his curiosity and asked, "All Might, seriously?"
I doubted I could feel more embarrassed than right now. Here I was, a teenage girl, in front of two new recruits, and the stuffed doll I had in my backpack was being shown for all to see. "It's-it's a momento," I managed to mutter out, cheeks feeling like they were on fire. "It wasn't mine originally."
That was the wrong thing to admit, because Toga pounced on it. "Who's was it?! Was it the guy's!" While Toga was technically correct, her tone made me not want to answer her.
"It doesn't matter!" I protested. "Give it back!" I hopped around, trying to reclaim my doll, but Toga was very good at evasion, keeping it well away from my hands. It wasn't a good idea to use any of my more advanced martial arts in public. I was only an inch or two shorter than her, but that made all the difference and I was unable to get it back until Dabi snatched it from her hands and handed it back to me.
"Thanks, Dabi," I said, hugging it to my chest protectively.
"No prob," he said with an amused smirk. There was a gentleness in his eyes that might have been hard to spot if it wasn't so foreign to them. It made me wonder if Dabi had had any siblings, because an older brother is exactly what he felt like right now.
Toga pouted, her source of entertainment taken away from her. I pouted back at her childishly but the light atmosphere slipped away at a sound so quiet I wasn't sure I heard it. Somewhere among the thousands of noises happening around us, I thought I heard the distinctive sound of 'Deku'.
I turned around, wondering where it - even as I told myself I was just hearing things - came from. My eyes widened and I just stood there, registering that I was actually seeing what I thought I was seeing.
It wasn't until Kacchan jumped over the railing that kept people on the second floor from falling into the atrium that I recovered my ability to react.
"Run," was all I said to Toga and Dabi before grabbing the bags with my free hand and booking it. Ten minutes and a close call avoided by ducking into the women's restroom later, I met up with Toga and Dabi at the back of the mall where the trucks were unloaded.
"What was that all about?" Dabi demanded. "I didn't see any cops or heroes."
"Only a guy who chased after Izuku," Toga supplied. "He didn't even notice us."
"He was a UA student," I explained. "One from the USJ."
"But you don't have your mask," Dabi observed.
"O-oh, that's right," I said, trying to play it off. "Sorry about that guys."
"He came after you when you didn't have your mask," Dabi deadpanned. Dang it, Dabi, where did that big brother feeling go!? You know I want you guys to drop it. Ugh, I'm done with being vague.
"It's none of your f(92)cking business," I glared. "I've been respecting your distance so respect mine." Dabi's eyes widened a little at my anger but he nodded.
"Aww, you're no fun Izuku," Toga whined but she left me alone. I had the distinctive feeling it was 'for now'. I really didn't get that girl sometimes. Why'd she think I was in love with somebody? I think I would know if that was the case.
I doubted I was really capable of love anymore.
"D-mn it!" I punched the wall, barely even feeling the pain.
She had been right there, I had been so close. But she slipped through my fingers, just like before. Why did she run? She didn't hate or fear me, or she wouldn't have kept the doll. The doll she had denied having even though it was clearly still in her possession. I punched the wall again.
Returning to the second floor and ignoring the mall security - I hadn't used my quirk so it wasn't their problem if I jumped from the second story - I picked up the thread and fabric the old hag had kicked me out the door to buy. The pedestrian extras gave me a wide berth as I stomped home and I couldn't care less if they were intimidated by me, even if they should be.
"Don't slam the door, Katsuki!" the old hag yelled after I did said action upon arriving home. I was in a bad mood already, and didn't need her to add to it.
"Get off my case b(53)tch," I replied. The old hag stuck her head out of her office with a disturbingly sweet smile on her face.
"Katsuki Bakugo," she said, pausing after each word. "What did you just call me?" I paled, realizing I just broke the unspoken rule of the Bakugo household: never call the old hag the b-word. I still had nightmares from the last time.
I did the only logical thing, run right back out the door I came in.
Izuku, the girl whom the warp guy called little miss, had barricaded herself in her room. Dabi felt a little guilty because he could have stopped Toga earlier, but he was also curious about the person called the Green Lady (yeah, he had to admit that name wasn't really aesthetic).
She had been very composed just a few hours before, offsetting the doubts the hand guy had engendered with his touchy attitude. She didn't react to Dabi's scars and secrecy with anything but respect, something that was hard to come across on this side of the law. But she was a blank slate, lacking the personality that the hand guy and even the warp gate had. It reminded Dabi a lot of how he felt many years ago, when…
Dabi cut off that train of thought before it could consume his concentration and the new clothes he got in an angry blaze of fire. Thinking of him never failed to make the scarred man angry. He forced his idle thoughts back to the current curiosity that was probably pouting in her room.
Her personality - which before had been carefully concealed - exploded when Toga got hold of that doll. Dabi wondered why the toy was so important to her.
And then that boy had all but catapulted from the second floor and gone after Izuku - Dabi had heard him yell 'Deku' as he searched for her. It was clear the boy knew Izuku, probably not as the Green Lady but as Izuku Midoriya, and that's where everything got complicated. Izuku had said the boy was a UA student and a little research on Dabi's side revealed he was Katsuki Bakugo, the champion in the recent sports festival.
In summary, all Dabi knew for certain was that the two knew each other and that Izuku was terrified to face him while the boy was determined to find her. Not a lot to go on. Dabi wondered if Kurogiri would tell him something about the whole situation. He wouldn't have to explain anything to the warp gate user as the crazy brat hadn't shut up since they got back. She had been going on and on about love and how cute Izuku was like she was on romance steroids.
Izuku trodded into the bar, the All Might doll ensconced in her arms. She glared at Toga, who finally stopped talking but kept her wide grin, before sitting cross-legged on a bar stool and flopping her head onto the table.
"Are you alright, little miss?" Kurogiri asked, placing a water before her. Izuku turned her head to side eye the mist man and sighed. Her eyes were clear but heavy, like they knew something that would never be a good thing.
"Kacchan spotted me at the mall," she muttered emotionlessly, prepared to talk. "He doesn't know I'm connected to the League… probably." Kurogiri replaced the water with a glass of warm milk that he pulled from somewhere.
"Would you care for the tub of ice cream I have in my secret store?" Kurogiri asked.
"Yeah," Izuku said. "I think I'll need it." She buried her face in her doll but Dabi saw a distinctive shade of red creep down her neck.
Looks like he had something else to add to his summary.
'Stupid Toga, stupid Toga, stupid Toga.'
I repeated this mantra in my head, unsuccessfully trying to drown out the maelstrom of emotions and fervid thoughts that were putting my mental state in quite the fragile mood. Why did she have to go and say that? If Toga hadn't brought up the idea, I probably could have gone my whole life without considering it, without realizing it.
Now I knew, and I couldn't pretend I didn't.
I sipped the warm milk Kurogiri had given me, relishing in the heat the cup transferred to my hands. I was acting illogically, wallowing in my feelings of hope and hopelessness and letting Momma-giri baby me. But I couldn't bring myself to crawl out of this sinkhole.
How I wish I could stop my heart from picking up speed at the thought of his gruff voice, his fiery eyes, his large hands that were only inches away from touching me when I was cornered in that deserted hallway at the sports festival. How I wish I didn't feel those thrills of happiness and didn't have to hold back grins when I remembered he had run after me, giving irrefutable proof that he remembered that four-year old girl and saw only her when he saw me.
I didn't want to have these feelings because they only made the pain worse.
I could think of his confidant smile, but never see it aimed at me. I could imagine holding his hand but only ever receive his fist. I could dream of him but never stand by his side. There was no other fate for a villain in love with a hero.
Kurogiri set a bowl of ice cream in front of me, the delicious flavor of Lemon Icebox Pie that would never be found in a secret store meant only for Kurogiri. I shoveled some in my mouth, leaving the spoon in for the ice cream to melt off of.
"Yo, Greenie," Dabi said. "Why're you so down?" I'm sure Tomura would have said something along those lines but much less civil, but he was busy plugged into one of his games.
"I'm fine," I said, not wanting to talk about that.
"And I'm a monkey's uncle," he deadpanned, one eyebrow raised.
"I will be fine," I amended, because that was the truth. I would suppress this, squashing it down until I barely realized it was there, just like everything else. It was so much easier to ignore it than to be so stupid as to hope. "Now back off before I decide to be curious about you."
"But it's so interesting, Greenie!" Toga opened her mouth. I glared at her but she didn't even notice, too absorbed in her own world. "It's a heart-pounding romance as delicious as fresh blood. Ooh, just thinking about it gets Toga all excited and jittery." Frankly, I was really angry with Toga right now so I think you'll all be understanding if I say I snapped.
"Well I'm not!" I all but screamed, getting off the stool and in the face of the girl who started the chain of events that led to my mental breakdown. "You may think it's the best news since yesterday but for me it's like a death sentence! Everything was simple, I just had to follow orders and annoy Tomura but now I've gotta deal with this… with this tangled mess!" I gripped the fabric over my chest, wishing that the pain I felt was physical, something other than an immense void. I lowered my voice, the anger, gone but the pain, unbearable. "I want him… I want him so bad, but I can't have him. I can't be with him. Our worlds don't connect. I'm going to have this… longing and can't do anything about it. It already hurts." I hugged the All Might doll, squeezing it so hard I'm surprised it didn't burst. It was all I had, but it wasn't enough.
A single tear escaped past my restraint. I really was foolish.