HEY!
HEY YOU!
YEAH, YOU READING THIS!
THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS CHAPTER FOR SEASON 4 OF THE SHOW. SO IF YOU'RE NOT CAUGHT UP, EITHER GO WATCH IT OR JUST SKIP THIS CHAPTER.
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OKAY.
League of Villains Hideout:
"The young head of the Shie Hassaikai." Tomura welcomed the young man into their hideout.
"Are you feeling braver now that All Might's retired, like most of the underworld?" Compress gleefully asked their new guest.
"Not really. I'm more concerned about the loss of All for One." Overhaul stared down the group, and Tomura got a bit uneasy. "Not only did the heroes lose their most powerful piece, but so did those in the shadows. The rest of the world's villains are looking for their next leader. So who'll become that new leader? Who deserve to become it more than me?"
"Who do you think you are? Why would I ever let someone as low as you become the new Symbol of Evil, my rightful title?" Tomura growled at him, gripping one of the crates and turning it to ash.
"So, you have a plan then?" Overhaul folded his arms across his chest, and Tomura chuckled.
"I'll come up with my plan once I need to. For right now, I simply need people. Besides, didn't you come here to join us?"
"A goal with no plan is just delusion. Stain, Moonfish, Muscular. All of them were incredibly valuable pieces, but you managed to lose them all almost right away... right? You didn't know how to use them properly. Your goal needs a plan to succeed, and I have just that plan. I came here to make you an offer, not join you."
"And what is this little offer of yours?" Toga spoke up, and Overhaul stretched out a gloved hand to the League.
"Work for my organization and I will bring down the heroes. Put yourselves under me, and I will utilize all of you properly to win against the pros." Tomura and Overhaul simply stared at each other, trying to decide what to do.
"... Go home. You're out of your mind if you think we'll work for you." Tomura walked away, and Overhaul simply glared at the young man.
"You really should reconsider-" he started before Magne pushed him back with her quirk. She got up and ran towards the yakuza head.
"I joined up with Tomura so I could be free to act as I pleased. Nobody will ever make me submit to them!" Magne swiped at Overhaul, but the villain managed to swipe his finger across Magne's arm. Magne's body bubbled under her skin and then her upper half exploded in a shower of blood. Red mist filled the air around her corpse.
"Big Sis Mag!" Toga screamed out, and Compress leapt towards Overhaul.
"I think that's enough out of you. Time you were sealed away." He stretched out his hand only to feel something stab him, and Overhaul swiped at him. Making contact with Compress' right arm, the limb burst into a shower of blood. Tomura rushed towards Overhaul, and a man with a mask rushed forward. As Tomura slammed his arm into him, he began to turn into ash. Several more men broke through the warehouse wall and joined Overhaul, who simply put his arms out in front of him. Two small portals appeared as his limbs went forward, and they disappeared into the swirling vortex.
"I think it would be best if you left. Now." the young man turned around to see Kurogiri behind him, with the warp gates his hands had gone through in front of two of the yakuza members. Every other member he had brought were also being held in mid air by Kurogiri's gates, their upper bodies all dangling from several feet up. Overhaul pulled his arms back and looked at the League.
"There's no need for anymore loss on either of our sides. Take some time to consider my offer." Overhaul turned back and looked at Kurogiri, handing him a business card. The warp gate villain released his associates, and the yakuza walked off as Kurogiri walked over to Tomura.
"I apologise for not arriving sooner, Tomura. The doctor held me up for quite a while. Had I managed to get here sooner, we might not have lost Magne or Compress' arm." Kurogiri bowed his head, and Tomura looked at the ground to see a small red vial. Picking it up, he noticed there was a needle on the end of it. He placed it in his pocket.
"For right now, we need to move. Take us to the backup hideout. I've got a few ideas. I'll make that arrogant yakuza repay me for everything we've lost today."
Midoriya Residence, a few days later:
Izuku sat in the office, waiting for Dr Suoh to show up for their appointment. He drummed his fingers against the cover of his journal, and stood up when Dr Suoh finally walked in.
"Alright, first things first." She reached around Izuku's neck and disconnected the monitoring collar. Placing it in a small box, she turned back to Izuku. "Congratulations. The evaluations I gave got them to end your probationary period a month early. You'll be off the hook in about a week. We'll still have your under surveillance, but now you'll have a lot more freedom. You did it, Izuku. You earned their trust."
"... Thank you, ma'am. Thank you so much." Izuku started to tear up, and wiped his eyes.
"Next, I'm going to need to borrow your journal. For a more in depth look."
"Oh, right." Izuku handed her the journal, and she flipped through the pages quickly, stopping once she saw something. She flipped back a few pages to a drawing.
"What's this?" She held it up to Izuku, who recognized the sketch he'd made of a costume.
"Oh, uh, that's my uh... hero outfit. It just came to me, and I drew it so I could think it over. Not that I'm saying I'm ready to be a hero yet, or anything. I know I still have a ways to go before I'm really ready. I was just-"
"Izuku." He stopped when he heard Dr Suoh address him a bit sterner. "You were rambling again."
"Sorry." Izuku bowed his head in embarrassment, and Dr Suoh looked at the design he had worked out.
"... Interesting design... but it looks like it's lacking something... I'll see what we can do." She closed the journal and slipped it into her purse. Izuku looked at her in disbelief.
"You mean, I'll actually-"
"We're training you to one day be a hero. Makes sense you should look the part. Might also help you in your training." she sat back in her chair and Izuku smiled brightly before shaking her hand.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! Although, I do have some suggestions on the design and function of it." He sat down and the two talked about specifications for about ten minutes before she finally had to leave.
"You've made good progress, Izuku. Keep it up, and you'll be a great hero someday. Oh, before I forget, Nighteye wanted you to meet him at his agency." She handed him a business card and waved to him. As she left, Izuku felt a sense of pride and looked at the business card. He ran up to his room, changed into some more formal clothes than the shirt and shorts he had on and rushed to the door. Almost knocking over Gran Torino, he ran by the old pro.
"Kid, wait! Nighteye wants-"
"IKNOW,ONMYWAYTHERE,BYE!" Izuku rambled off faster than he was running, and Torino simply stared at him before running after him.
"Let's at least go there together, kid." The old pro whacked Izuku on the head, and the two of them then proceeded to walk the rest of the way.
Nighteye Hero Agency, a half hour later:
Izuku and Gran Torino walked into the building and made their way to Nighteye's office. As they entered, Izuku took in all of the All Might memorabilia on the walls.
"Nighteye is a fanboy too, huh?" Izuku thought to himself, as he looked around in amazement. Nighteye fixed his glasses, and addressed the two of them.
"Please, have a seat." The two sat across the desk from Nighteye and the man simply stared at Izuku. "I've called you here, Izuku because ultimately, I want you to be an intern here. Once you've completed and passed the test the U.A. staff have prepared for you, you will be issued a case specific provisional hero license. However, that license will only let you perform hero work under the supervision of either myself or another pro here at the agency until you officially join U.A.'s students. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Now, Mirio is due to be on patrol soon. You'll accompany him as a civilian, and watch him during his patrol. This is so you can get a good idea of what kind of work you'll be doing here." Nighteye pointed to the door, and Midoriya walked out. Torino looked at Nighteye and scowled.
"There's more than you're letting on. He's advancing a bit fast with this. Why are you letting it happen?"
"Because it's part of the future I saw for him. He needs to become a hero, and sooner rather than later." Nighteye meshed his fingers together and recalled the memory he saw of a young man in a bird mask facing Midoriya.
Near the Agency:
Mirio and Izuku walked together, both taking in all of the city going on around them.
"So, why pick Lemillion as your hero name? Doesn't seem to tie to your quirk at all."
"It's my goal. I'm going to be the hero that saves a million people. A hero name shouldn't be just their quirk, but a reflection of who that person is and what they want to do as a hero."
"Yeah, but still. Lemillion makes you sound kinda weird."
"Oh, really? Well what would you use for your hero name?"
"Certainly something better than-" Izuku was cut off as he felt something slam into his leg. He looked to see a young girl in a plain white dress and bandages on her limbs on the ground, wincing in pain. "Oh, sorry about that. You okay?" He put his hand on her head and saw her look at him with wide eyes. He helped her to her feet and brushed her hair off her shoulders.
"Are you okay?"
"Eri." Izuku heard a voice come from in front of him, and the girl leaned forward and gripped Izuku tight. She was shaking, and Izuku could feel tears begin to hit his chest.
"There you are." a young man in a green jacket and wearing a bird-like beak mask was standing in front of the trio. Izuku's eyes went wide, he knew who this man was. During his time with the League, he had collected intel on several gangs and yakuza in order to form more connections with the criminal underworld. This was one of the Shie Hassaikai, the one they called Overhaul. Izuku held Eri closer, and the young man simply stared at them both.
"Eri, time to go home." Izuku saw the girl turn her head and look on in fear at the yakuza in front of him. Her eyes went wide for a moment and then she ran to the man, stopping short in front of him. Izuku noticed that one of the man's gloves was almost off, and he pulled it back up when she got to him. The young man turned to them both.
"My daughter has tantrums sometimes. She's quite a handful. Sorry to disturb the both of you." The pair walked off back down a back alley, and Izuku clenched his fists. He began to walk towards them when Mirio held his hand in front of Izuku.
"Izuku, we'd be putting her in danger if we did anything. Plus, we don't have any clue what that guy is capable of."
"He's Kai Chisaki, most commonly called Overhaul. He's a member of the Hassaikai yakuza, and his quirk lets him break down and reassemble anything. And he's torturing that girl somehow." Izuku recalled moments when All for One would use a good portion of his power to beat Deku in training. The aura Overhaul gave off was just like All for One, someone who used others and themselves had power nobody else could really match. The bandages on the girl's body made a chill run up his spine. He was doing something horrible to her.
"Right now, we'd be outmatched. And you're just a civilian. If you went after him, you'd be a vigilante and the heroes would make sure you never become a pro. You'd blow your second chance if you went now."
"She was terrified. She was clinging to me like her life depended on it. But she went with him anyway." Izuku turned to Mirio. "That means her fear of what he'd do to us outweighs her fear of him and what he does to her." Izuku gripped his fists and walked back to the agency. Miro walked after him and put his hand on Izuku's shoulder.
"Let's go tell Sir what happened. We might be able to do something."
Hassaikai Lair, a few days later:
Tomura walked into a room with two couches, Overhaul sitting opposite him. He walked forward and plopped down on the couch, glaring at the yakuza head.
"This place is quite the maze. I was walking for half an hour before getting here."
"So, you've thought about my offer?"
"Let me make one thing clear. The League won't work under you, and you don't get to control our organization. But we will work with you to achieve our goal. After you pay us back. Magne and Compress' arm aren't easily replaceable like your men are. We deserve repayment. If not in blood, then information. Tell me what this is, and what your plan with it is, and I'll consider us even." Tomura held up a red bullet and Overhaul simply stared at the young man, weighing the risks.
"Very well. It's a serum that can, for the moment, temporarily negate a person's quirk. We're planning on using it against the hero population in order to change this world of heroes."
"Temporarily... at the moment... you're trying to make these things permanent, aren't you? Find a way to destroy someone's quirk for good, right?" Tomura smiled, and Overhaul simply sat back on the couch.
"Yes. We're currently furthering our goal, but we could use some additional help as far as security. Perhaps your allies Kurogiri and-"
"I'll send you two that I think will work best for you, but Kurogiri stays with the League. Oh, one other thing. If you see this guy, kill him immediately. He was called Deku, and he was our best until he betrayed us." Tomura held up a photo of Izuku, and Overhaul's eyes widened slightly.
"I met him a few days ago. He was with another guy in a hero outfit. Didn't really seem like a villain to me."
"... Even so, if you see him, make sure to make him your priority. He's the best at taking down our opponents." Tomura put the photo on the table between the two and walked to the door behind him.
"Good luck with your plan." he smirked as he walked away.
U.A. Training Grounds, later the following day:
Izuku was facing off against multiple robots left over from the entrance exam, steadily working his way around and through them. Several teachers were watching as he continued with the license exam they had put together for him. Luckily, no students were outside their dorms at this time of night. Izuku managed to down the last robot and went to work retrieving the actors the staff had brought in to be civilians in danger.
"He's doing remarkably well. His weaker version of One for All is remarkably potent." Nezu watched in interest, seeing Izuku tackle everything in a strategic manner.
"Time for phase two, then." Eraser Head pulled up a walkie talkie and spoke into it. "Orca, you're up."
"Understood." At this, Gang Orca burst through one of the walls in the training grounds with several other people dressed in black tactical gear. Izuku stood between them and the "civilians".
"Get to safety. Hide in the buildings. I'll handle this." He turned his attention to Gang Orca, and the pro hero rushed him. Izuku jumped up and tried to slam a foot down onto Orca's back, only to get his leg grabbed and his body tossed towards the civilians. Izuku spun around and slammed his foot into the pavement, bringing him to a stop. He turned and saw Orca's men spreading out. They were trying to stretch him too thin.
"Alright, Izuku, think. Smallest threats first then focus on the big guy." he thought to himself as he activated Full Cowling and one by one, tackled the goons to the ground with precision attacks. Once all of them were unconscious, he turned his attention back to Orca. Rushing forward, he used his legs to sweep up a gust of wind. Orca raised his hands to brace himself for the attack, but Izuku simply ran forward and used the pro's ready arms as a springboard to propel himself into the air. Turning mid air, he concentrated his power into his arm and legs.
"One for All, 80%: Diving Smash!" He shot forward and slammed down onto Orca, sending the pro back several feet and slamming to the ground. Izuku ran over and put his foot on Orca's back.
"Stand down." he told the pro, and Orca simply tapped the ground three times. A horn blew, and Izuku knew the test had ended. He got off the pro's back and helped him to his feet.
"I'm impressed, kid. You really handle yourself well." Orca held his hand out, and Izuku shook it.
"Thank you, sir." The pair of them walked to the observation room where the rest of the teachers were waiting. Nezu stood in front of Izuku.
"We'll have your final results ready in a few days, but I'm very optimistic about your chances."
"Thank you, sir. For all of this. I can't thank you enough for this chance." Izuku bowed slightly and All Might came up to him.
"Young Midoriya, I'm amazed at the progress you've made. A little more time, and you'll become a true hero." All Might patted him on the back, and Gran Torino stepped forward.
"Alright, kid. Let's get going. You still got lessons to get through today." The pair of them waved the rest goodbye, and walked back to the car waiting for them. When he got home, all Izuku could really think about was how close he was to becoming a hero.
Nighteye Hero Agency, the following day:
Izuku had been called in early in the morning to the agency, per Nighteye's request. He was led into Nighteye's office, where the pro was sitting behind his desk with a large case on top of it.
"We've had someone working on this for a while. Now, even though your license has yet to be approved, I think you should see this." He stood up and opened the case to reveal a green outfit with black and white details. Izuku stepped forward and took the fabric in his hands.
"It's made with tear resistant fabric, shock absorbent pads line the interior, and supports are built in to lessen the effects One for All makes on your body. The gloves and shoes both have reinforcements to help your blows land more powerfully without putting a large strain on your body." Nighteye explained, and Izuku was in awe of it all. He looked at the upper part of the case and saw a mask with a green pair of eyes and a blank face.
"What's this for?"
"Put on the outfit, including the mask. We've got something to attend to." Nighteye walked out of the room, and Izuku simply held the outfit in his hands. What was going on? He put those thoughts aside and changed into the hero outfit. The suit fit him perfectly, and the gloves and boots felt perfectly weighted. He took a look at the mask, and after a deep breath, slipped it on. The eyes adjusted themselves with his vision, and they had a tactical readout on them. He turned to the door and walked out to meet Nighteye.
"Follow my lead, and do not say anything. Whatever you hear, make sure you don't lose your composure." The pair walked into a room, and Izuku saw a group of pros as well as a few students from U.A. and Mirio sitting down as well. Izuku took the sit next to Mirio and simply sat straight.
"Who is this?" a pro hero that Izuku recognized as Rock Lock spoke up, pointing at Izuku.
"This is my newest intern, Chikara. He'll be involved with this as well. Thank you all for coming. The reason I've called you all here is because I believe all of you are connected by a common thread." Nighteye opened up his computer and tapped a few buttons. On the screen on the opposite wall, a photo of Overhaul was shown. "This man, Kai Chisaki otherwise known as Overhaul, has been suspected in a new drug operation. Evidence suggests that there are two drugs being developed by his organization, the Shie Hassaikai. One is a temporary quirk amplifier that can boost a person's quirk to incredible levels for a brief period. The other is more worrying, a quirk nullifying agent that stops a person's power for a brief time. Both were used by low level villains captured within the last few days, all of whom Fat Gum and his interns encountered."
"So, that's what happened to you, Tamaki." Kirishima turned to the black haired individual next to him, and Izuku got tense. He remembered researching Chisaki back during his time with the League. The man was a tactical mastermind, and his quirk levels weren't easily evaluated. But he was powerful, and he was far too much like All for One.
"Thanks to the efforts of Kirishima, we've been able to analyze the serum of the quirk nullifier. We discovered blood cells and human tissue samples. That, combined with other evidence points to this young girl as the crux of the yakuza's operation." Nighteye clicked a button, and a picture of Eri appeared on screen. "Mirio and Chikara here both encountered her one day and Chisaki showed up seconds later. The two of them left together, but there were bandages around the girl's arms and legs. With what we've been able to determine, her quirk may be involved with the creation of these serums."
"Wait, you mean-"
"Overhaul's quirk is to dismantle and reassemble things at any level. We think... that he's been using this young girl, his daughter, as the means of producing these serums. By using his quirk on her." At this, Izuku took in a sharp breath, and he felt cold all over. His mind wandered back to a training session against All for One, when the villain held him in place with his own powers. Izuku remembered the pain he felt back then, and he saw Overhaul's face in front of him, but his voice was that of All for One.
"Everything I do, I do to make you stronger, my boy." He saw an image of Eri flash in his mind, and felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Mirio looking at him, his usual smile replaced by a stern look of determination. Izuku took a few deep breaths and regained his composure. The rest of the meeting droned on in his mind, his focus now on trying to fix his mistake of letting her go back with him. After everyone had left, he walked to the bathroom and walked into one of the stalls. Pulling his mask off, he took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. A knock on the stall snapped him back to reality.
"Izuku, it's Mirio. Sir wanted me to tell you that we're going to be searching for her. And when the time comes, you and I are going to lead the charge... We're getting her back. We're making sure she's safe." Izuku listened and held the mask in his hands. Chikara, meaning strength. That was who he was for the time being. He pulled the mask back on and walked out. Mirio and him walked side by side, now more determined than ever.
League of Villains Hideout, later:
Tomura was sitting on a broken couch as he explained his goal.
"Toga, Twice, you two will help out the Hassaikai for the time being. We get them on our side, and we'll have more resources."
"I joined the League so I could have the freedom to do what I want. So why do I have to follow orders now?" Toga got right next to Tomura and held Deku's old knife under his chin. Tomura simply looked her in the eyes.
"... Because it'll help us. I don't really care about the yakuza, just what they have to offer. Their man-power, their resources, their connections. All of it will help further our goal of bringing down the heroes." Tomura smiled at her, and Toga thought for a minute before putting the knife away. She went over to Twice and grabbed him by the arm.
"Come on, Twice! We've got a bunch of new people to meet."
Nighteye Agency, a few days later:
Izuku looked down at his provisional hero license which had the name Chikara on it, and in the corner there was a small red circle indicating it was an agency connected license. He put it in his pocket and slipped on his mask. While the operation was undergoing, he had to remain in his hero outfit at all times. Nobody outside the U.A. staff and a few others knew Izuku was being trained covertly, and he preferred it that way. He wasn't ready to be in the spotlight just yet, not until he had done something worthy of a hero.
The conference room was filled with the same people that had met a few days ago. The heroes had all investigated the areas they operated in and finally, they had all determined the location of the main Hassaikai lair. Everyone had their tasks, and the police would be working side by side with them. Izuku glanced over all the people present and watched with crystal clear focus as the meeting progressed. Nighteye had used his Foresight on a man connected to the yakuza and confirmed not only the location of the hideout, but that Eri would be there as well. It was all coming together. Izuku watched as Mirio came over to him after the meeting had ended.
"What is it?" he watched as Mirio plucked a hair off his head and handed it to Izuku.
"Sir told us there was a chance that the quirk destroying serums might be ready by the time we get there, right? I figured if anything happens to me..." Mirio looked down, and Izuku finally understood. He was giving him One for All, the real version. Izuku nudged his hand back.
"No. I've already got-"
"You were determined not to let All Might's legacy end with him during the Kamino incident. That's why you took the vial, right?" Mirio watched as Izuku stiffened then relaxed. "If anything happens to me, eat this. I'd prefer if we had a full version of One for All."
"... Nothing will happen to you. But in case it does..." Izuku took his mask off knowing they were alone, and plucked one of his own hairs. "You're trusting me with your power. So I'll trust you with mine." Izuku watched as Mirio took his hair and placed it in one of his pouches on his hero outfit, and Izuku did the same. The two shook hands and Izuku pulled his mask back on.
Hassaikai Lair, the following day:
This was it, today was the day. Izuku stood ready to go as the rest of the raid team approached the main Hassaikai compound. A few police went to the door, and a group of people burst out. A fight ensued, and one of the yakuza grew to an incredible size. Izuku watched as Ryuko went head to head with him and followed the others into the building. They ran down a hallway, stopping at one point as Nighteye opened up a secret tunnel. The group rushed down, and the tunnel began to close up in front of them. Izuku and Kirishima both broke through the wall, while Mirio had simply phased through. The redhead looked at the green clad hero and smiled.
"You're pretty good at this aren't you?" Izuku simply nodded and the group continued forward. After a while, the tunnel began to shift and warp. Several walls went up and Fat Gum and Kirishima were sent flying into another area. Trapped with Eraser Head, Izuku used his mask's tactical readout to try and find other people, eventually seeing two heat signatures behind one of the walls. Bursting through, he saw Rock Lock on the ground with another standing over him.
"There was a shape shifter. I've got them taken care of." Rock Lock motioned them over and Izuku looked over the body while Eraser Head scanned the room. Something was wrong, the shape shifter on the ground had a stab wound but there was no knife. Izuku looked over at Rock Lock only to see the hero try to stab him with a knife. Eraser Head used his quirk, and the form of Toga appeared out of some gray sludge.
"What are you doing here, Toga? Why would you be with these people?" Izuku immediately went into defense mode, making sure she couldn't cut him. He saw the knife slash by his head, and he recognized it. It was Deku's weapon, the knife he had tossed away during the Kamino Ward incident.
"Why- how do you have that?!" he tried to land a blow, but Toga managed to slash across the side of his mask. The resulting tear left part of his eye and a few hairs visible. Toga looked on and smiled.
"... Izuku. What are you doing here?" She grinned widely as her body was wrapped up by Eraser's capture scarf. She flipped around and slashed Eraser across the back, and as the pro went down a wall formed between the duo and Toga. Eraser winced in pain as he went over to Rock Lock and tried to help with his wounds. He turned back to Izuku.
"Go, find Nighteye and Mirio. Do what you need to, but make sure the mission's completed." Izuku nodded, and ran off towards the direction Mirio was heading.
Meanwhile:
Mirio was proceeding down the hallway, and saw Overhaul and another man with him. In the other man's arms was Eri. As he got closer, his senses started to warp and he felt like he saw swimming through his own thoughts. A man appeared on the ceiling, and Mirio couldn't get a good grip of himself. Another man appeared in a black outfit, and pointed a gun at Mirio firing off a round.
"What's your quirk?" A wave of purple circles filled the hallway and Mirio looked at his opponent.
"Permeation, I can slip through anything. And One for All, a super strength quirk." Mirio gasped as he finished that sentence. He had been forced to reveal it, but now these villains knew the truth. Mirio watched and focused on his opponents, and eventually he made his move. Phasing through the wall, he bounced around the hall at random places and eventually managed to slam both of them into the ground. Running towards Overhaul, Mirio phased through the ground and came up in front of them. As Overhaul narrowly dodged a blow from him, Mirio managed to phase through Eri to land a kick on Chisaki's ally. As the villain went flying back into his boss, Mirio grabbed Eri and held her close.
"Why? ... you can't be here! He'll kill you!" She began to cry and Mirio simply held her closer.
"I'll make sure you don't get hurt by him again."
"Eri... I'll kill him? You still don't understand. You break people, you always have. You were born that way, born cursed. I always have to get my hands dirty because of how selfish you are. Every thing you do gets people killed."
"How can you say that about your own daughter?"
"Oh, right. I did tell you that story... She's not my daughter. She's nothing more to me than a valuable piece of my plan." Mirio watched as Overhaul's glove fell to the floor, which then broke apart and reassembled back into spikes. The room became distorted and Mirio tried his best to avoid getting Eri hurt.
"Don't you care about her? She could've died!"
"True, but I can put her back together as long as I get to her right away. I'm the only one who can save her in this situation. So give up." Overhaul kept creating more and more obstacles for Mirio to work around, and Mirio was trying to protect both himself and Eri from the ever changing room. The man who was carrying Eri before came to, holding up the gun from earlier. The man took a few shots as Overhaul broke the ground apart again, but all of the shots simply passed through Mirio's cape. Mirio came up through the ground and slammed into the man, knocking both him and the gun away. Mirio faced Overhaul and began landing blow after blow against him.
"You think you can torment her and suffer no consequences? You use and break whoever you want! But you won't hurt her anymore! You won't lay another hand on her! No matter what, I'll be her hero!" Mirio threw another punch at Overhaul, and Eri simply watched, slightly hopeful of what would happen. The man from earlier came into the room though a crack in the wall and picked up the gun. Overhaul tossed him a case which held the red bullets. Loading one of them in, the man chuckled.
"... Go on then, be a hero." the other man pointed the gun at Eri and Mirio dove towards her. As the shot rang out, Mirio tried to put his arms around her. As Eri looked up at him, Mirio smiled at her as the bullet made impact. A sharp pain went throughout Mirio's body, and he gripped his fists in response. He could feel his power getting weaker, and he reached behind him to pull the bullet out. As the serum took its effect, he tried to catch his breath. He saw Eri on the ground in front of him and wrapped his cape around her. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out Izuku's hair and swallowed it quickly.
"The filth of this world were given power, and that in turn gave them dreams. To think that people can become something more than what they are is an illness of their own minds. You wanted to be a hero, and now, you've lost everything." Overhaul gloated as Mirio regained his breath and charged him. Upon making contact, Mirio tried to phase through only to feel unbearable pain radiate through his body. He lept back a few feet and looked down. Seeing a rock on the ground, he tried to phase through it. Upon feeling the same pain completely through his body, he struggled to phase through but eventually did. He looked on as Overhaul looked at him with disgust.
"So, it looks like the serum isn't ready yet. How disappointing. But still, you can't use that permeation power of yours without horrible pain, can you?" Overhaul chuckled to himself before watching as Mirio tossed his ally at him. Mirio landed blow after blow, and Overhaul had to use his power just to hold him back. Mirio was both fighting his opponent and making sure Eri wasn't harmed. The two fought for about five minutes, each suffering pain from the other before Overhaul screamed out in rage. "You're powerless. How do you have this much strength?"
"Because no matter what, I'm still Lemillion!" Mirio got caught by several spikes and struggled to get himself free, and saw the wall next to him break open and the masked form of Izuku burst through with Nighteye in tow. Izuku slammed his fist in Overhaul, knocking the villain back allowing Mirio some breathing room. Mirio looked at both of them and sighed in relief. "Sir, Midoriya... Eri, she's safe..." Nighteye rushed over to him and held both Mirio and Eri close to him.
"You did well, Mirio. Now go, get Eri to safety. We'll handle the rest." Nighteye helped him to his feet, and Izuku shielded him as Mirio and Eri made their way to the new hole in the wall.
"Midoriya... do it... the hair..." Mirio struggled to get out, and Izuku helped him to the exit. He pulled the hair out of his pouch and slid his mask up just enough to slip it into his mouth. As he swallowed, he turned back to Overhaul, sliding the mask back down. Overhaul rushed forward and tried to grab the exposed part of Izuku's face, but came up short skimming the fabric. As his mask broke apart from Chisaki's quirk, Overhaul's eyes widened as he saw Izuku's face.
"You. Tomura called you Deku. He said you were the worst threat of all of them. So I'll kill you here and now!" He jumped back and put his hand on his fallen ally and Izuku watched in horror as Overhaul's body grew two new arms that were redish-purple and hideously distorted. Overhaul came at him while distorting the ground beneath them. Izuku watched as Nighteye tried to get to safety, only to see the pro get impaled by a spike of rock.
"NO!" Izuku rushed at Overhaul, trying to land a good blow. He activated Full Cowling, only to feel an intense pain wash over him. Jumping to the side, he clenched his muscles as he felt a wave of numbness and energy flow through him. His usual green energy turned golden green and he felt stronger than he ever had. Balling up his fist, he focused his power into a single point. Turning, he punched the air and let loose a blast of wind from the force. His arm felt numb, and he winced in pain as he realized he exceeded his limit with One for All.
"New version, more powerful. Gotta figure out the new limit, not use more than I have to. He mentioned Tomura. Why would those two work together?" He clenched his fist and rushed at the villain again, getting in a few good hits before having to retreat when Overhaul morphed the ground into spikes.
"It's incredible really. After all the trouble he went through to save her, Eri's own power made Lemillion powerless. If none of you had gotten involved, he could've held on to that precious dream of his. And now all of you are going to die. Is this what heroes are, nothing more than sacrificial lambs led to slaughter?" Overhaul's hand formed a mouth on it's palm and began to speak.
"Someone else will die now because of you. Is that what you want, Eri?!" Izuku watched as purple waves washed over him, and moments later he heard faint footsteps.
"I... I don't... I don't want that!" Eri was shaking, and Izuku motioned to the hole in the wall.
"Eri, run! Go back to Lemillion! Get to-"
"Eri, do you believe this guy can do anything by himself in this situation? Do you think he can win?" Overhaul's voice washed over the room, and Eri stood still before saying a single word.
"... No." Izuku took in a deep breath, and began to assess the situation. Eri was too close for him to really be effective in the fight, and now she wanted to go back to her captor.
"So what should you do now?"
"... Go back... in exchange... put everyone else back the way they were!" Izuku looked on as Eri began to cry, and he felt himself boil with rage.
"You see? What hope Lemillion gave her is gone now. She knows it's better for her to be hurt than to let others suffer because of her. No matter what you say or do, she'll-"
"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Izuku slammed his fist into the ground, the force of the impact breaking the spikes around him into rubble. The entire compound shook, and Izuku gripped his arm in pain. He looked Overhaul dead in the eyes. "You think I care about what I lose? What I have to endure? I spent years trying to be strong enough to beat one villain. You are no different from him, from All for One. You manipulate, you scheme, you use everything and everyone you can! Which is why I'll stop you here and now, before you ever become what he was!"
"Please... go. I don't want you all to suffer." Eri muttered through her cries, and Izuku stood tall across from Overhaul, shielding the villain from her sight.
"Eri ... We're here for you. To help you, to save you. No matter what we have to sacrifice, what we suffer." Izuku turned to look at Eri. "We're not giving up, until you're safe and happy... because that's what heroes do." He turned back to Overhaul, and clenched his fist. Overhaul used his ally's quirk.
"Do you really think you can save her?"
"Yes, I do."
"Why would you risk all of this just for some girl? Some random child who doesn't even want your help?"
"Because I was like her. I was the puppet of All for One, for years I had to suffer the worst things my mind could create. But all that, being a villain, spending years away from my family... it's nothing compared to what she suffered. Which is way I'll make sure that you can never hurt her again. Until she can live a peaceful life and smile at the world around her, I'm not giving up on trying to save her." Izuku clenched his fist and let One for All flow through him at 20%.
"His quirk is too strong. All I have is power and speed, but he can easily overcome that with his ability."
"So break his spirit. The more will he has, the more fight he'll give you. So crush his will." Izuku shivered. He could swear he just heard Deku's voice in his head. He blocked it out, and focused back on the fight. Suddenly, something clicked for him.
"You really are an idiot, though. For trusting Tomura, for thinking the League would ever willingly stay loyal to you."
"That one sent me two of his soldiers, even if they weren't worth much. And we learned there was no plan of betrayal."
"Toga and Twice were sent here to destroy your operations. Those two, they do what they feel like. Tomura knew they'd cut and run the second they felt like it, leaving you and your men at the hands of the heroes and cops. And Tomura could pick up the pieces of whatever was left."
"You're so smart, Izuku." Toga jumped down from the ceiling and tried to slash at Overhaul. The villain dodged out of the way and Twice appeared next to Toga.
"Nice to see you again, Deku. You're not really Deku! I'm going to kill you later!" Twice shouted at Izuku, and then looked back to Overhaul. "But first, we want to see Overhaul here suffer." The two villains squared off against Overhaul who simply looked on at his opponents.
"Villains and heroes fighting together. How distasteful."
"Toga, Twice, you can't beat him head on. His quirk will make it impossible to get close and land a good blow."
"We don't work with you, Izuku. We worked with Deku. And you're not him." Toga scoffed and threw a knife at Overhaul, who simply destroyed it with his quirk. Twice simply stood off to the side.
"We can't beat him, none of us. I need to get Eri out of here, but those two will die if they fight him."
"So? They're villains." he shook his head at hearing that thought, and started to approach the situation. Toga had shape-changing and ranged attacks with knives, Twice could duplicate anything but they were less durable than the originals, and Izuku had One for All, but he couldn't go all out with it or risk getting one of his limbs broken. At that moment, an idea came to him.
"Twice, Toga! Remember "Shuffle" back at the bar?" The two looked at him, then at each other. Toga's eyes went wide with realization and she rushed over to Izuku, knife in hand. As she got closer, she flicked a finger across Izuku's leg, getting a bit of blood and licked it off her finger. Twice went over to Izuku, who then tossed a giant piece of rubble at Overhaul. Catching and destroying it, Overhaul watched as the dust settled, to reveal four Izukus standing in front of him. Each of them held a knife from Toga's supply, and they all ran forward.
"A clever trick, but it won't stop me from killing you." Overhaul reached for the first one, who simply turned into sludge after Overhaul gripped his head. Another tried to slash at him with a knife, causing him to sidestep into another's range.
"One for All: 25%." the real Izuku slammed his foot in the villain's back and sent him flying into the ground. As Overhaul got up, he saw another Izuku join the fight and all four of them rushed him. As he slammed his extra arms at the two closest, they turned to sludge. The other two attacked simultaneously, one punching his gut with tremendous force and the other stabbing one of his arms. Both of them got out of range, and one yelled back at the rear.
"Twice, how you doing?"
"Doing good, looking pretty okay. Oh god, we're all gonna die!" The man created two new Izukus and they both ran forward. The other two joined up with them and they wove and weaved around Overhaul.
"This is getting ridiculous!" Overhaul slammed his arm to the ground and sent spikes up. Two of the Izukus turned to sludge, and the other two simply held themselves between spikes. Overhaul raised his arm and the mouth of his former member appeared. "Which one of you is the real one?"
"I am!" Izuku blurted out, and Overhaul turned to him with hate filled eyes. He jumped towards Izuku, only to feel himself in extreme pain. He felt his body being ripped apart and his former member and himself were now separated. He turned to see Eri had run forward, her horn now slightly longer and glowing faintly.
"Eri... why did you do that?" Overhaul turned to her, and the young girl took a step back with tears in her eyes.
"Twice, Toga! Once more!" The two villains smiled, and two more Izukus appeared. The four of them rushed at Overhaul from each direction, and he could only grab at one of them before it turned to sludge in his hand. The other two landed a blow on his back, and the real Izuku knew if he stood a chance he had to let loose.
"One for All: 100%. Delaware Detroit Smash!" He landed his blow to the top of Overhaul's back and the young yakuza head fell to the ground, finally unable to fight back. A moment of quiet was broken by Izuku gripping his arm in pain, removing his glove to see the arm purple and bruised. A swirling portal formed in front of them, and Mr Compress walked out. Compress tapped both of Overhaul's arms and the young man's two limbs were turned into marbles which Compress scooped up. He turned back to the yakuza head who was now bleeding from the remainder of his limbs.
"You took one of mine. Consider this repayment for my pain and suffering." Compress turned towards the other members of the League. "What have we here? Working with the enemy?" Compress watched as Izuku turned to face him. Toga and Twice walked over to their comrade.
"They were fighting against Overhaul, not with me."
"I see. We are the lesser of two evils in this situation to you, then. We'll be taking our leave now, but make no mistake boy. Next time we see you Izuku, we will be at war with you and everyone who stands with you." Compress adjusted his hat as a swirl of black and purple appeared behind him, and he jumped through. Twice and Toga walked through the portal as well, and once they were through the form of Kurogiri appeared. He stood across from Izuku, and the young man simply took up a fighting stance, clenching his broken fist.
"... It's good to see you again, my boy." Kurogiri said to him before wrapping himself in his mist and vanishing away. Izuku fell to his knees before catching his breath and getting to his feet. He walked over to Eri and put his hand on her shoulder. She looked at him and her eyes started to tear up.
"Hey, it's okay. You're safe now." He smiled and she gripped his costume, crying and leaning into him. He put his arm around her and picked her up, holding her close. He looked back at Nighteye, who was bleeding out. Further on was Mirio, who was probably in worse shape. He ran over to Nighteye and sat Eri down.
"Sir, we'll get you out of here. Just hold on, okay?" Izuku got him clear of the spikes and made the ones still impaling him didn't fall out. He put Nighteye on his shoulder, and saw Mirio stumbling towards them. A faint yellow glow started, and Izuku saw Nighteye's wounds close up and heal. His own arm felt better, and he looked down to see it had turned back to normal. Mirio was also standing up, bruises and blood now gone. Izuku turned and saw Eri, her small horn now glowing with gold light. She looked scared, and Izuku felt a bit of pain come over him. He placed his arm on her shoulder and looked her in the eye.
"Eri. It's okay. You don't need to do anymore. It's okay." He pulled her close, and he felt her relax in his arms and the pain subsided. Izuku looked back at Mirio and Nighteye, both now standing up.
"Let's get her out of here. Midoriya, your mask." Nighteye remarked, and Izuku reached into one of his pockets. Pulling a new mask from his pouch and slipping it on, the trio walked to the surface, meeting up with several police and heroes along the way. Over the next fifteen minutes, the yakuza members were subsequently arrested and led out of the building. Izuku watched as Overhaul was strapped to a restraint slab and led away. The yakuza head looked at Izuku.
"You can't save her. She might be safe, but she'll always be a target. And she'll always remember what happened. Her quirk rewinds people, to where they can be erased completely. She has no control of it." he watched as Izuku stood between him and Eri.
"... Then I'll just have to keep saving her. In whatever way I can." Izuku glared at him, and the police shut the doors of the van. As the vehicle drove off, Izuku looked back at Eri. She was currently being held by Mirio, who simply looked at Izuku with a sad smile. Izuku turned to Gran Torino and the two got into a car and drove off.
"I should have done more." Izuku stared out the window, gazing at the sky.
"You did what you could, kid. Because of you, that girl is safe and a quirk destroying serum is off the streets. You're doing pretty good for a beginning hero." Torino drove them both home, and Izuku felt like he had achieved a hollow victory.
City Highway, later:
The police van was travelling down the road when they saw a truck in front of them open up the back. A burst of blue flame shot out and Dabi started laughing to himself.
"Now this is fun!" Dabi let loose another jet of fire and watched as the escort car went swerving away. Tomura lept forward and slammed into the van's hood, smashing through the windshield and tossing both guards out. As the vehicle swerved and slammed into the ground, he lept off as the van skidded on the pavement. He slammed his hand against the door and walked through the hole now formed by the decaying metal. He stood over Overhaul's captive body, and saw the guard unconscious with two boxes near him. Tomura picked up the blue and red boxes, and Overhaul watched in horror as he placed them in his pocket.
"One is the quirk destroyer. I'll have the doctor find out which is which. As for you..." He stood over Overhaul, undid a few buttons on the captive yakuza's shirt, and slammed his palm down onto the young man's chest. Tomura's quirk went to work and Overhaul's chest began to turn a gray cracked form. As the yakuza struggled to breathe through his decaying lungs, Tomura smiled at him.
"This is what happens when you cross the League." Tomura walked away and pulled out his cell phone. Pushing a few buttons, he waited as a portal opened up in front of him a few moments later. He walked through with the rest of the League, and Overhaul tried to cry out as his face turned to ash.
U.A. Conference Room, hours later:
"We should try to find the serum they were talking about. The quirk destroying bullets and the amplifier drugs have been missing. No doubt recovered by the League." All Might clenched his fist, and the rest of the room got uncomfortable at the thought of what the League could do with those items.
"Speaking of which, do we have any leads on them?" Eraser Head spoke up, and Midnight held up a few pieces of paper.
"They teleported away, unfortunately. And the only clue they left behind was what remains of Overhaul."
"What about the girl?" Nezu asked, and Dr Suoh spoke up.
"It seems she's alright, but with what she's gone through, it'll be quite a while before she's worked through the trauma she endured. She seems weary towards anyone who's tried to talk to her, except for Mirio and Izuku."
"And how are those two handling themselves?" Cementoss asked, and Recovery Girl spoke up.
"Izuku has come through this experience and made himself stronger, both mentally and physically. It seems the combination of Mirio's One for All plus his own has compounded into something stronger. Mirio, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have One for All... at all. The bullet he took must have destroyed the primary power his body held. Whether or not his permeation quirk will recover is another story."
"So, what do we do with the girl? It's not like we can just keep her at the school 24/7." Vlad King addressed the rest of them, and Dr Suoh spoke up.
"No, but given how she's comfortable around him and how both of them share a similar experience... perhaps, we should have her stay with Midoriya. The location is ideal, and we've already got a pro hero living there full time. Not to mention having someone older who went through similar trauma might help Eri recover faster." Dr Suoh explained, and Nezu looked around the room.
"All those in favor?" a few moments passed before the members in the room raised their hands. "Very well then. Congratulations, Torino. It seems you have a new resident."
Midoriya Residence, hours later:
Izuku walked in with Eri, who fiddled with the quirk nullification collar.
"Yeah, it takes some getting used to." Izuku told her before rubbing her head playfully. Inko saw the pair walk in and walked over to them, giving Izuku a big hug.
"Oh, my baby boy. I'm so glad you're okay." She patted his face and knelt down to get eye level with Eri. "And you must be Eri. I'm Inko, Izuku's mom. I'll be helping look after you for the time being. And this is going to be your new home."
Eri looked around at the house's interior and began to tear up. She ran forward and hugged Inko, who simply returned the gesture and patted her head.
"Don't worry. You're going to be just fine, Eri." Inko picked her up and the trio walked into the living room to sit on the couch. Izuku put his hand on Eri's shoulder, and she turned to look at him.
"I know you've been through a lot, but we'll be here to help you going forward. I was used by a villain too, made into his tool for years. But I came back from it. And we'll help you come back from what happened to you, okay?" he smiled, and Eri nodded.
Midoriya Residence, the following day:
Mirio and Izuku were training in the basement, both of them doing their best not to lose. Izuku kept having to try and limit his new power, and Mirio was still wincing slightly every time he shifted through something. Torino blew his whistle and the duo stopped, both catching their breath.
"Izuku, you need more practice with One for All. Mirio, how are you holding up?"
"Good. I've been getting better. Yesterday the pain was overwhelming. But now it just feels like when my leg falls asleep. Recovery Girl's quirk should help out some."
"Give it time, you'll recover. And Izuku, how are adjusting to One for All?"
"It's difficult. I had just gotten used to my weaker version, and now I have to keep reminding myself it's stronger now. I'm just sorry you don't have it anymore, Mirio. I thought mine could be transferred like the original, but-"
"It's okay. Truth be told, One for All was a bit much for me. All that power is hard to control on top of my own quirk. But I'm glad you have it now. All Might's legacy won't end with me, after all." Mirio smiled, and Izuku went stiff for a moment.
"I know your legacy, All Might, and after you die I'll make sure it ends with him!" All for One's voice rang through his head, and he suddenly felt like he was back in the Kamino Ward fight. His breaths became quicker, and he gripped his fists. A hand gripping his arm brought him back to reality, and he looked to see Eri standing there.
"Hey. What're you doing down here?"
"... Are you..." Eri stared at him, and Izuku could see the fear in her eyes. He took her hand in his and knelt down to be eye level with her.
"I'm okay. It's just... sometimes the past comes back to haunt me. I see what happened back then and feel like I'm back there. But I always come out of it." He gave her a soft hug, and ruffled her hair. "I'll always be stronger than what I faced. And you can be too."
The doorbell rang, and Izuku stood up and held his hand out for Eri. She took it and the two walked upstairs to see Inko open the door for a woman in a white coat. The two greeted each other before the woman walked over to Eri. Eri gripped Izuku's hand tight, and he squeezed hers as she ducked behind him.
"It's okay. She's the one who helps me with what I went through. You can trust her." he smiled at her, and Eri came out to face the woman.
"Hello Eri. I'm Dr Suoh. I'd like to talk to you." She knelt down to be eye level with Eri, and Izuku watched as the two began to talk.
League of Villains Hideout, later:
Kurogiri walked over to Tomura and bowed slightly.
"Tomura, I've found him. Simply give the word and I'll bring him here."
"Excellent work, Kurogiri. Let's wait a few minutes before warping him here. I want to see what the doctor has to say." Tomura walked over to the doctor, who was looking over the samples he brought him. The red and blue boxes were both open, and a bullet from each had been taken apart for examination.
"The blue ones seem to be an amplification serum. The red ones seem to be the quirk destroyers. However, I doubt I can make more. These have human blood and tissue in them. Not exactly something that can be easily reproduced."
"... the girl. He was using her to make them." Tomura growled, and started scratching at his neck. He had let the crux of the serums slip through his fingers. And now she was in the hands of the heroes. "Can you do anything with them?"
"Well, I could try to make synthetic versions, but that'll take me a lot of time. Time we may not have if the heroes find us." The doctor jotted down some notes, and Tomura simply chuckled.
"Don't worry. For now, I'm focusing on adding new numbers to our ranks. I'll quiet down all the noise, just long enough for us to get ready to strike. Oh, and make sure our new pet is done sometime soon." Tomura smiled, and twirled around Deku's old knife. What he had planned was going to break the heroes, once and for all. He nodded to Kurogiri and watched as a giant portal formed in the fortress they had made they new base.
Sorry this one took me so long to do. I was on vacation for my brother's wedding, so I had all of that going on with a lot of other personal stuff. Also, this arc was really tricky for me to handle. I didn't want to go too far from the source material, but I also had to choose what to keep and remove for the AU. I hoped you guys liked it, and I'll try to have the next chapter out soon. The next few chapters will be shorter to do, since I'm making them more of my AU than sticking to the established story. As always, hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading.