Shigaraki wiped dust off of the bar counter, growling beneath breath.

"Ugghhh, I don't like it. This brat is turing into a problem. Why can't he just disappear off of the face of the planet?! It'd save me a whole lot of trouble."

"Well, it is your fault for running with the media's immediate guess on the situation." Kurogiri dutifully cleaned the remains of the glass his petulant child had destroyed. "Now they all believe we have Stain's Apprentice on our side. The fact that we command men, and girl, who are avid fans of him, doesn't help."

Shigaraki was quick to defend himself. "Hey, they're great fighters! Why should I have just let them fall by the wayside where they might've joined HIM?" He went back to hunching over his dinner plate, cold food looking pathetic below him. "Imagine if HE'D gotten to any of them first. We'd have a riot on our hands."

Kurogiri was quick to agree. The Vanguard Action Squad held many Stain supporters, but they were all impressive in their quick ability to accomplish tasks. Regardless, he made a mental note to make sure that they truly hadn't been swayed by the rouge teen. "Speaking of the Vanguard, shouldn't they be arriving soon?"

On cue, the squad themselves waltzed in, quickly taking up their unofficial spots. They were in deep discussion about the recent events starring Izuku and Endeavor.

"I mean, come on!" Toga gushed, holding her face and blushing. "Doesn't he seem kind've dreamy? With his little giggles and ruthlessness?"

"No way! He's disturbing!" Twice switched personas in the blink of an eye. "I can see how you would be attracted to him. He does seem like your type."

She was almost drooling. "I knoooowwww. I wish I could see his face."

Looking at her, Dabi promised to himself that he would never let that girl touch his best friend. In any capacity. Trailing the group, and the last to take his seat, Compress spoke up from the back.

"Speaking of Stain's Apprentice, Dabi, didn't you have a target on Endeavor's back? Aren't you upset over that chance being taken from you?"

Spinner cut a quick glance to Dabi, but the fire user remained strictly calm. "Oh, yeah. Not too upset really. I would've liked to do it myself, but he did the same as I would've done, so no harm in it really. Plus I would have never thought to out him so thouroughly." Dabi grinned with malice. "Kudos to him for that."

"You were out for Endeavor?" Shigaraki turned to look at Dabi more closely, squinting."

He shrugged. "Yeah, old beef with him. Don't really wanna talk about it."

"C'mon, it's boring around here! We need the gossip." Shigaraki prodded, but Dabi would not be persuaded.

"Have you ever heard of personal information?"

Compress tried to intervene before Shigaraki could retaliate. "I may not have devoted myself to his cause, but it would be interesting to meet the boy."

"Yeahh." Toga sighed, still staring off dreamily and not paying attention to the drama beside her.

"It would be." Dabi agreed, keeping up his lie of devoted fan. "It sure would be great if SOMEONE would stop being a little twat about the whole situation." The obvious glare to Shigaraki was far from unnoticed, and Compress wanted to die. He'd only made the argument worse.

"Hey!" Shigaraki snapped back, keeping up his own lie of controlling Stain's elusive Apprentice. "He CHOSE to be left alone, s'not my fault in the slightest."

Dabi rolled his eyes, looking away pointedly as Kurogiri made a forceful change of conversation. "Yeah yeah whatever."

- UA dorms -

"I mean, all I'm saying is, it's not impossible." Iida was the one to voice this doubt, using less dramatic handgestures than usual. "We all (who have personally met him,) agree do we not?" He looked around at his friends and classmates, eyebrows raised. "There is something all too familiar about that boy. And we all know by now who he reminds us of."

Kirishima nodded, a sad frown. "His muttering. Took me a while to place it."

"Why he seems to care for our wellbeing." Shoto's quiet voice added to the murmurs. "It's 'cause he veiws us as friends. His voice itself sounds the same too."

"His gentleness with us too." Uraraka jumped in, remembering how carefully he'd treated her in the woods.

Tsuyu piped in, even though never having been in a violent confrontation with the teen in question. "He's actively avoided conflicts with you guys whenever he could, choosing instead to subdue you or leave from what I've seen and heard."

"And of course," Iida resumed, looking grim "he's gone out of his way, even causing harm to himself for us, Bakugo in particular."

"What about me?" They all jumped at Katsuki's voice. He stood there in the doorway of the dorm kitchen, pulling an earbud out to hear them. "What're you lot talking about?"

Uraraka smiled. "Stain's Apprentice. We think..." her smile faded. "Please don't get mad. But, it's just..."

He raised an eyebrow. "Just what? No need to be so cryptic about whatever it is." She bit her lip, looking fearful of his reaction, which in turn worried him. He was unnacustomed to that look on her face. "'Raka?"

"It's... also...Izuku." He stiffened, instantly understanding her fear. "It's, don't you thing that there, might be, just the slightest cha-"

"No." His voice was calm, his expression neutral. "No, I do not think." His loud swallow contradicted his passive appearance. "Izuku is a good person. He could NEVER fall that low. And I'm going to find him to make sure he doesn't."

Katsuki plugged his earbud back in before he could hear Iida's objections. He proclaimed in a tone that left no room for arguments that he was going for a jog and that he'd see them all later. He almost slammed the door.

He was beyond furious. Sure, it may have been the natural conclusion, and he may have been plauged by it for several days now, but Izuku WAS a good person. He had always strongly belived in good. Heroes saved people, and he had always wanted to be one until Katsuki had finally convinced him otherwise. There had been no sign of anything even remotely malicious in the time before his disappearance, and with his detailed goodbye videos, it was clear he wanted only the best for his friends.

No way.

Katsuki picked up the pace of his jog, planning to reach the other side of town in hopes of coming across clues to lead to Izuku.

A/N

So, this took longer than expected to come out. I kinda feel like I'm letting you guys down by going from a chapter every few days at most, to one chapter every few days on average, but I'm afraid that's just how it seems it's gonna be. School is hard, Christmas is lording over us rn, and I can't find focus on this with all these other ideas bouncing in my head now.

Hardcasekara: Good. That is exactly how you are supposed to be feeling for endeavor. Yes, he deserved what he got, but he was still human. Pity and confliction is what I want. And yes, his popularity will die as he was very nearly wheelchair bound for life. And this is seen as the beginning fire of Izuku's revolution. The sparks were his action in Hosu, endeavor was the fuel yo light the fire. Or maybe the fire to light the fuel. Your choice.

Darcry: I'll tie Aithusa in just for you somehow, but she still isn't the instigator of the reveal.

I believe that is all dears! I will try to have 13 (now 12) out soon, and it too will be short, but I can't say when it will come.

So long Lovies!