14 Years Ago

"Ok, Koji, you're next," Ena said, pushing her son into the vehicle.

Mayume had just stood up straight when she saw him.

The villain had jumped into the air, ready to pounce on the pile of vehicles. Ena saw it coming and panicked, shouting at her to run away. Too afraid to object, Mayume bolted in the other direction, still looking back. The villain landed on the cars and crashed right through.

In seeing the villain coming, Koji tried to crawl out of the vehicle. He had just officially exited when the villain came crashing down, causing a massive explosion. The fire and debris struck Koji and his family powerfully, sending them flying into the distance. The villain, unaware of what he had done, cheered into the sky with great joy. The villain seemingly looked to be forged out of mountain rocks, completely immovable.

Physically, not emotionally.

He looked to his right and saw the family that was struck down by his attack; A mother, a father, and two boys. This was very bad, he promised All For One that he would only cause damage, and that he wouldn't kill too many people, especially not children. In a panic, he rushed over to see if any of them were still alive. The mother and father were pierced by debris, dead before they hit the ground. One of the boys had also been impaled, but it was the impact of the ground to his head that killed him.

The other boy, however, was still breathing.

He was bleeding all over, cuts on his face with small pieces of debris stuck in it. Despite the cuts and burns, he was still alive, if just barely. It was relieving, but not by much; All For One will still be angry with him for stepping outside the guidelines. If the boy survived, it would only dampen his anger. It was better than nothing as a hero arrived at the scene, sporting a flashy costume with their hands on their hips. Now was the best time to flee, before the hero ended up arresting him.

Picking the boy up, the villain held his body close and super-jumped away from the scene just as the paramedics arrived.

…

Koji's body was dropped onto a table by the rock-based villain, and All For One looked over him. The head villain looked young, yet strong, dressed in a nice suit that looked like it had been to the cleaners that morning. Despite the polite tone he was showing on the outside, he was not very happy. The attack was meant to draw out the current holder of the quirk One For All in one of his attempts to rid himself of the line of heroes. Instead, the one he sent to cause trouble had done more than he was supposed to. It wasn't too much of a bother, but he preferred to stick to the plan. Any time a plan changes, everything eventually goes wrong.

It didn't take long for All For One to get some doctors in to treat the boy. The rock villain didn't have to bring him here, he could have just left him. However, now he was here, so he was his problem.

"Why did you bring the child here?" All For One asked.

"I thought you might me mad," Said the rock villain, "I know ya' didn't want me killin' nobody, so I thought I'd bring 'em here. I couldn't exactly go to da' hospital with my face."

"Were there other casualties?"

"…Yeah, his whole family."

All For One frowned, and it was never good when he showed visible disappointment, "Then your act of sentiment is pointless. It's one thing when a villain robs a bank or causes destruction, because dozens of villains do that every day. However, it's something else when that villain kills someone."

"It …is?" He asked, genuine fear building up in his core.

"I don't care that you killed someone, I care that you killed someone today. You were only meant to draw out the holder of One For All and lead them into a trap. Now, you've screwed yourself over. By killing someone, the news will brand your face a murderer. So much as going out there will make you a target, one that may lead them straight back to me."

"I-I'll be more careful!"

"I know you will, because you're fired."

The rock villain begged for mercy, backing away as All For One came closer to him. Despite his strength and durability, he felt it was nothing against what this monster was capable of. There was no where to run, no where to hide as All For One grabbed him by the head. The inferior villain started screaming in torment, attempting to pull the hand off his head with no success. Rocks from his body began to fall off, breaking into rubble as they crashed against the ground. Finally, all that remained was the man underneath, helpless and broken.

All For One tossed the now quirkless man aside, letting him drool on the floor with what little of himself he had left.

"I cannot tolerate loose ends, not if they blur the path to my goal," He rubbed his hand, feeling the power of the mans quirk returned to his body.

Now, there was still one problem to deal with.

The boy, the one the villain had brought back here. His doctors were currently working on treating him, but what happens after that? Because of this whole mess, he had to lose one of his workers. He could just pick up any old joe off the street, but just anyone could fail him like this last disappointment. The plan to draw out the holder of One For All and finally end the line of heroes had failed miserably. Now he would have to hide for a while again to ensure no one traces the mess back to him.

The doctors called out to him, saying "The boy is starting to wake up" and asking what they should do. Leaving this to others resulted in this mess; from this point, this was his responsibility.

When All For One entered the room where Koji was kept, he was rather amused by what he saw. Despite his many injuries, Koji was jumping around to avoid the doctors. Even though he was young, he knew that this wasn't a hospital. The doctors tried to grab him, but he would slip under their legs or dodge them as they ran into the walls and equipment. At one point, he grabbed a tray of supplies, dumped them, and swung it into their faces.

This child was a fighter, and he liked fighters.

Another thing he noticed it that the boy wasn't using any quirks or abilities. Even those with the weakest ability try to use them when in a dangerous situation. No, this boy was quirkless, yet he was a strong fighter despite that. He often knew quirkless beings to have weak wills, but this kid was proof of the opposite. It pinched at his intrigue.

"Enough," All For One calmly commanded, stopping everyone in the room, including Koji who had been out of breath, "You're a stubborn one, aren't you?"

Koji's face and body were covered in bandages, stained from the blood of his wounds. All he knows is that he woke up in a strange, dark place surrounded by people poking things at him on a table. How was he supposed to trust these people when they refused to tell him what was going on?
"What's your name?" asked All For One.

"…Koji," He answered quietly, "…where's my family?"

"Oh, my dear boy," He kneeled down to head level with him, "I'm afraid you're the only one who made it."

Trauma; that's the only word Koji could use to express what he was feeling. There wasn't just sadness, or anger, or remorse. It was a combination of all those feelings, clashing against each other and blending like paint in a cup of water. The color became grey, and he became numb with confusion and disbelief. His chest was aching, unable to comprehend what this strange man was saying to him. It came to the point where rather than just crying.

In a fit of rage, Koji launched himself at All For One with his limbs flying in every direction. The doctors managed to catch him mid air and hold him back, but All For One didn't even flinch. He just stared at the boy curiously. He was brave, even when faced with grief, and his anger was a source of strength rather than weakness. It wasn't the boy's pain All For One cared about, rather how he could use that pain. He was down a worker, after all, and this child had nowhere to go now.

"I know you must be upset," Said All For One, before looking up at the doctors, "Lock him up, give him time to cool off."

The doctors quickly dragged Koji away and tossed him in the first empty room they could find. The door locked behind him just as he tried to twist the handle. He yanked repeatedly but it didn't budge. Despite this, he kicked and punched the door with such rage, you'd confuse him for a wild animal, all while crying tears of torment. He must have continued like this for 20 minutes on and off before he finally wore himself out, stumbling over to one corner of the room and curling into a ball. All his pain had compressed now into the shape he created, weighing on his chest and keeping him pinned to the floor.

They can't be dead, he thought, they just can't be.

…

Denial, anger, bargaining, depressing, these were four of the five stages of grief, and Koji experienced them all in isolation. It must have been days, almost a week since All For One locked him in that room. Whenever he went to sleep, the doctors would unlock the door and put food in the room. Koji knew at that point that if he was hungry, he would just have to sleep. He had no one to talk to, left alone with nothing but the dangers of his thoughts as he passed through every stage.

Denial and anger; He must have spent at least a day curled into a ball, telling himself there was no way this was real. It was all a lie; they couldn't have been gone. He had finally begun to repair things with his siblings, the universe wouldn't be that cruel to him. There was just no way.

Anger and depression; He raged against the walls and made his knuckles bleed, shouting at the men who put him there. Liars, he said they were. There was no way his family was dead. He was closest to the explosion, and he managed to survive. He hadn't seen anything from them, only knowing what he had been told. Verbal proof just wasn't enough for him, and that started to drive him crazy.

Acceptance finally hit him. He awoke in the room with a newspaper on the ground, depicting the names of his family to be found dead. His mother, father, and brother all died tragically in the attack.
However, he noticed one name to be missing when the shock finally left him. His sister, Mayume, wasn't found on the list of the dead. In fact, she was on the survivor's interview page.

What upset him was that all of this, their story, didn't even make the front page.

Finally, after over a week in isolation, the door opened for Koji and the light was let inside. All For One was standing there, hands behind his back as he entered with confidence. Koji retreated to the farthest corner of the room, where he left the newspaper he used as a blanket.
"Have you had enough time to cool down?" All For One asked, "Do we need to keep you in here for another week?"

"…No," Koji said sternly.

"Good," He kneeled down to eye level, yet the top of his face was still hidden in shadow, "How do you feel?"

"I want to go home. I want to see my sister!"

"Let's not talk about that right now; I want to discuss something else," he paused, thinking as he stared at the young boy, "You intrigue me, Koji. You've no quirk, yet you fight harder than most like you."

"Like me?"

"The powerless. Their will is so small, so inferior, but not yours. I can see your potential, your strength."

"So what?!"

All For One stood tall, adjusting the collar of his suit, "I want to bring your potential into fruition. Don't you want the kind of power your sister has? The power that God has denied you out of spite?"

"Just leave me alone!" he cried, "I want my sister!"

All For One sighed in disappointment. Clearly, he hadn't had enough time to come to grips with the tragedy that befell him. To be fair, he was only a child, and death was a considerably new concept to him. He decided there that Koji needed more time to grieve, leaving the boy no time to react as he left and locked the door back up. The man walked away, ignoring the screams and plea's the boy cried out.

Another week goes by, and the same routine played out. He would sleep, and wake to find a plate of food. They never even gave him a blanket and pillow, only a plate of food, once a day and every day. Why was he keeping him here for so long? Why was he here at all? Did he have some kind of use for him? If he did, why lock him up in this room?

Each time All For One visited, he examined the boy's progress. When Koji showed he was still grieving, he would keep him there for another week. For the little boy's mind, he found it to be torture and nothing else. There was truth to that, but it was about more than finding pleasure in torturing an innocent child with isolation. This was about breaking him.

Finally, after four weeks, he was finally ready.

All For One approached the door where he left the boy, honestly curious to his progress. Isolation like this was used in prisons on grown adults, not children. He could only imagine what it had done to his mind. Slowly, he entered the room to see his handy work.

Koji had been sitting crisscross in the corner of the room, facing the wall with his arms on his lap. All he could feel now was this numbness, for it was the only way to cope with the passage of time. He hadn't allowed himself to cry for quite a few days either; it took too much out of him, so he numbed his feelings every time he came close, and it would fade away like it was never there.

This was acceptance, not just of grief, but of pain.

"If you're ready," Said All For One, "Stand up."

There was a moment when Koji questioned whether or not All For One was real when he turned around to look at him. It wouldn't be the first illusion he'd seen while stuck in this room, isolated and afraid. He had seen the image of his family, pushing him to keep fighting, at least on his good days. On his bad days, they urged him to give up and surrender to insanity. Even now, he was still on the fence.

Just as the villain was ready to leave again, Koji quickly stood and faced him. He didn't want to stay in that room anymore; It was the first time he visibly showed fear in some time.

"How do you feel?" All For One asked.

"…powerless," he said blankly.

"And that is nothing new, I assume."

"Yes …"

"…Koji. I saw something in you the first time our eyes met. There's a fire, a rage that must be kindled. One day, you'll come to appreciate the time you spent in this room. You may even come back for nostalgic purposes, because I'm going to mold you into a better version of yourself."

"…Wh-why?"

"Because I see peoples potential, and I make it reality," He held out his hand, grinning to the boy, "I can give you all the power you could ever want. A quirk."

That word, something he heard a thousand times by the kids in his class. It was around the time everyone got their quirk, all except for him. It didn't take long for the doctors to crush his dreams, making him watch as all those he cared about gained an advantage over him. Everyone knew those with quirks got more benefits than those who didn't. The idea of receiving a quirk, though, that was unheard of. Yet, every voice that had entered his head these last four weeks were telling him to take his hand. If he didn't, he would just go back into that room, trapped and forced to relive the memory of his family's death.

He had to be strong enough.

He needed to be strong enough.

He couldn't go back into that room!

He won't go back!

Koji didn't think, he didn't hesitate a second longer. The young boys small hand grasped the palm of devils incarnate, and instantly he was filled with this energy, this power he never felt before. Every bone in his body was vibrating, wanting to move all at once and in so many different directions. He couldn't back out now, not with the villain's grip to tight to be released from.

"Don't worry, Koji Aihara," All For One smiled, "The nightmare is almost over."

…

8 Years ago

The night was a mysterious time. It was a time when children slept, and the adults were never more alive. As children, we wish to extend our bedtime. Now as adults, we can't wait to hit the sack. Such wasted potential, exhausting our energy on jobs we don't believe in. What good were you if you didn't contribute to your beliefs?

At least, that's what Koji thought.

The suit he wore was basic, made of stolen S.W.A.T armor and motorcycle gear, painted a dark violet color. The sound of the city hurt his ears, almost missing the days he spent in that isolated room. The lights were too much, and the people were too loud.
"Look at all these people," Said 'Nightmare', the name Koji adopted for his days in the field, "Wandering around, filling their heads with fear and doubt. All that unnecessary stress caused by the insanity of the world we live in. They could be doing so much more, but fear of the gods around them make them feel worthless."

"Stay on task," All For One spoke into the device in his ear, "This little mission is to prove your worth as my asset. Don't screw this up."

"Or I get the room, I know."

In the time since he was young, his voice had recently grown deeper, puberty only hitting these last two years. It was strange for him; the surge of emotions forced him to feel things he hadn't felt in a very long time. Even now, he struggled while knowing he was trapped under the thumb of a terrible villain, who slowly corrupted him each and every day.

And slowly, he began to just accept it.

On cue, a man in poorly kept cloths exited a grocery store with only a single bag. He was alone, keeping to himself as he hung to the street rather than the alleyways. Koji only knew that this man he was after once worked for All For One, but was let go. His job was to detain and question him, before being told what to do next. He wasn't going to question it; he didn't want to get the room again.

He followed the man by the rooftops, staying hidden within the shadows he came to know so well. They were the blanket he wore when he slept in that isolated room, the only thing to keep him warm and safe. Now, they aided him in his task to prove himself. Only by proving his worth can he convince All For One to finally let him see his sister. She needed to know he was ok, and he missed her.

The parking lot wasn't very populated, so no one saw Nightmare sneak behind vehicles to reach the man as he put the groceries in his trunk. He couldn't see the mans face from where he was, only his height and build. Though he was tall, he was not very fit. His entire vibe told him he likely suffered from depression after a traumatic event. The man was sluggish with his muscles drooped; little effort put into moving them. He would be an easy target.

Using his quirk, he zoomed over and grabbed the man by the head, slamming it into the trunks hood and closing it. His head immediately started bleeding as his vision blurred, unable to resist as Nightmare lifted him up and pinned his body to the back of the car. The man wanted to scream, but was in too much shock to make such a noise.

"Yesterday, the police traced your identity back to being a former villain!" Nightmare stated, "Did you tell them anything about All For One?! Where he is?! Anything?!"

"Wh-what?!" The man exclaimed, still trying to clear his head from the concussion.

"Answer the question!"

"Th-they asked me if I worked for someone, I said-I said-"

Nightmare picked him up and slammed him back down, "Did you tell them you worked for All For One?!"

"Yes!"

All For One listened in, his fingers interlocked. Anyone he releases from his employment risks spoiling all his secrets. Normally, he would never risk letting a former employee live out in the world, but this man was a special case. He allowed him to live for a single purpose, and today, that purpose would finally be fulfilled.

"Koji," Said All For One, "Kill him."

Koji's grip loosened at his order. He wanted him to kill this man? Koji had never killed anyone before though he should have expected this to be a possibility, "Are you sure?"

"Release your doubt; you know this man already. You met him only six years ago. This is the bane of your existence, the cause of all your pain and suffering. He is the villain who killed your family."

He couldn't believe that, he wouldn't believe that. All For One could have just been trying to rile him up. Still, the impact of his words made him let go of the man and watch him crumble to his knees, holding his bleeding head. There was no way this was the same man; he was weak and pathetic. The villain he saw was some kind of rock monster.

"You aren't serious…" Nightmare accused.

"I stripped him of his quirk a very long time ago. He is powerless, pathetic, weak of will. It's just as I told you, those without power often succumb to their own weakness."

As always, he had an influential grip on Koji, forcing his mind to believe every word he spoke. Still, he needed validation from the only man who could give it, "Six years ago," Nightmare addressed the bleeding man, "Someone with a rock quirk attacked a city street and got a family killed. Was that you?"

The mention of that event rushed memory back into the man, and his eyes filled with fear. It was the only answer that Koji needed to stumble back in shock. The man who ruined his life, who brought him to All For One, he was right in front of him, begging for mercy. Upon realization, the man asked him not to do this, to spare him. There was so much going through Koji's mind that he couldn't keep up with it all. The rage, the torment, the things he went through while trapped in that room.

It was all his fault. The tight grip of the blade.

It was all his fault! A scream of bloods origin.

It was all his fault …the regret of one's self.

The man who ruined his life, who caused all his grief, now laid dead on the ground with his neck sliced open. Nightmares blade dripped with his blood, trailing on the ground as he walked away, looking down at the ground. He was supposed to be feeling bad, to be feeling shame for what he had just done. So why wasn't he? Why did he not feel bad?

Why did he like it?

…

He had returned to his so-called home with All For One and stood straight like a soldier. That's what he was to him, what everyone was to him. They were soldiers, and he provided the weapons and means to carry out his bidding. Some enjoyed it, others had no choice. Anyone he gave a quirk to became slaves pf his will, whether they realized it or not.

"How do you feel, Koji?" Asked All For One.

"Did you know he was the man who killed my family?" Koji's voice was cracking in a desperate attempt to remain monotone and controlled.

"Yes. This has been the plan since I first locked you in that room six years ago. I knew that to prove you were ready, you needed to eliminate the bane of your existence. So, I kept him alive until this day finally came."

"What do you mean 'ready'?"

"You're finally one of us, Koji, a true villain. You made the choice not just to kill him, but to do so with rage and a thirst for blood. I crafted you into one of the most dangerous men in this city, helped you reach the potential I saw so many years ago."

"I don't care about that!" Koji broke his monotone, "You said after I did this that I could go and see my sister!"

"Yes …I did, didn't I? Very well, you may go."

That was easier than he expected. He assumed there would be an argument, a denial of what he was promised. Instead, All For One made no move to make him stay, simply pointing to the door that lead out of the building. Something about it was odd, though. He was being polite, yet sinister. "What's the catch?"

"Just tell me what she thinks of you when you see her."

"What do you mean?"

"Koji, you're a killer, now," All For One began to slowly circle him, "Villains are what took away your family, and now you have become the very thing you hate. Taking a life and giving in to rage is not something you can simply take back. Everything you once were is gone now, only leaving the nightmare version of yourself that you created. I'm simply curious what she will think of the new you."

He realized now that he had changed. Killing him didn't take much hesitation. Even before knowing who the man was, his doubt wasn't a case of corrupting his morals. Over these last six years, he had gone through torment, both physical and mental. His rage that he had as a child had only been fueled into violent outburst. He had become everything he hated, everything she hated.

"If, however, you are confident that she will accept you," All For One said as he walked away, "Go right ahead."

The next day, Koji had put on a hood and gone out into the city where her sister was living. He had always kept tabs on her, especially through social media. Mayume had been attending U.A High School for upcoming Pro heroes. It made sense she would go in this direction, especially after what had happened with their family. Finally, though, he could see her in person rather than as images online. Koji waited outside the school, standing on the other side of the street as he waited.

And finally, there she was.

She walked out with some of her friends, dressed in her school uniform; a nice collar shirt with a tie, a skirt and knee-high socks. She let her hair grow out a little bit, reaching further down her back. Seeing her with his own eyes, he smiled as the aching in his chest had begun. He was nervous; it had been so long since he had seen his sister, what was he even suppose to say? How would he break it to her?

As she walked on the sidewalk with her friends, he trailed behind with his hands in his pockets. Eventually, she would have to split off from her companions as she made her way home. Once she did, that would be his chance to talk to her, as long as he wasn't spotted by them prior.

"You ok, Mayume?" One of the girls walking with her asked, "You seem a little down."

"I'm fine, it's just …" She sighed, "Some stuff I found out."

"You can talk to us," Said the boy to the other side.

"I know, I know …ok. You know how …how my family was killed by a villain?"

Koji's expression turned to concern now, listening in rather than just following.

"The police station called and told me they finally found the guy, but he was …they say he was murdered."

"Oh, geez," Said the boy, feeling a form of disgust, "Do they know who did it?"

"No. They wouldn't tell me how it happened, only that it was gruesome."

The girl tried to divert the vibe by asking "How do you feel about it?"

This was the part Koji needed to hear, knowing that whatever she was feeling was his own doing.

"I guess …" Mayume paused, "I'm upset. I mean, I'm glad that he won't hurt anyone anymore, but I never wanted him to die. I just wanted him to face some sort of justice, repent for what he did. I don't know who killed him or why, but I don't know if it was worth it either way."

Koji stopped following them and just stood on the sidewalk, watching them turn a corner and continue on until they vanished from his sight. He was crying now, the tears hidden by his hood. All For One was right, even if he didn't want to admit it. He killed that man in the most painful way he could think of at the time, wanting him to suffer for everything he took. That rage overtook him instantly, and he welcomed it into his heart. Mayume spoke of the murderer with disappointment; she would never want to see him as he was, not now.

Who he used to be was gone forever.

…

Present Day

Mayume stood there, listening to Koji's story as he relayed what happened leading up to this day. All while he spoke, she was holding back her tears of shock from the mere fact that he was even standing there, talking to her. Had she known he was alive all of this time, she would have gone looking for him. He was alone all this time, scared and angry, unable to go to her for help. She could have been there for him; she should have been there for him.

And he thought she wouldn't want to.

"So …you killed that man? The one who took our family away?" She asked, still on the fence for how she feels about it.

"I did …I killed him," He admitted, "Sliced his neck right open and watched him bleed before just walking away. After All For One's battle with All Might, I assumed he was dead and took the chance to run away from his operations. Even though I was on my own …I could never go back to my old life," he looked at his hands, shaking from fear, "All For One, he …he kindled the anger inside me into something horrible. I couldn't change who I was, the killer I became. I offered my services to anyone who paid because I was angry all the time, and he taught me that killing was the only way to relieve that anger."

In all the ways she imagined her brother being when they were young, this was not one of them. He was so full of rage and pain that he wasn't in any way the person he used to be. Then again, it also made sense. Koji would be angry as a kid, and even picked a fight with her once. If those attributes were fueled by someone like All For One, this is exactly who he would become.

"Why now?" She asked, "Why come to me now?"

"… I heard from my old contacts in All For Ones business about the stones, and when I heard of Lumina, I knew it had to be you. No one else has a light quirk like yours. I want to start over, like you. If these stones do what people say they can, then I want in on that, to hit reset on everything that went wrong with our lives."

She wanted more than anything to believe what he was saying, but the shock was still getting to her. She knew very well this could have all been a big trap set for her by the League, revenge for not holding up her end of the bargain. Then again, her heart was telling her that this was real, and really needed to believe it. She needed this, so much so that the stones became a second thought.

With tears erupting from her eyes, she rushed over and hugged him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and kept him close, her head resting on his shoulder as her tears fell from her face and onto her back. "I can't believe it's really you!"

He wasn't sure whether to hug her back or not. Affection like this wasn't something he had received for the longest time, especially not from All For One. What was he suppose to do? How was he supposed to react? It had been so long that he honestly didn't remember the right response. All he knew how to do was smile, and just enjoy the fact that he finally got what he wanted.

He got his sister back.

Unknown to the siblings, a figure stood on the roof of the warehouse and watched them closely. All For One, wearing a strange type of mask, stood there with his teleporting companion, Kurogiri. All For Ones hands were latched by their fingers behind his back, staring at them with a smile under his mask.
"Why did you give him the stone?" Asked Kurogiri, "We could have used it's power to kill All Might."

"We could have, yes," All For One refused to make eye contact with him, "But I'm curious; what happens when you give a gun to a wild animal? Will he learn to wield it, or squander the opportunity?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Give a caveman fire, he will either evolve, or die. Koji has the potential to do great things, and that stone is the best motivation. Should he squander it, then that's that."

"You seem to have faith, then."

"In my hard work, yes, and Koji Aihara is some of my finest."

…

The two traded one warehouse for another. Mayume's hidden home hadn't been quite the same since the passing of Quinten Beck. It was him that aided in the many decorations that made it feel like a proper home. Coming back in, she would always look to the couch that stood in front of the TV, where Beck would always watch the news and learn more about their world. Without him, things just hadn't been right.

Mayume came in first, her brother following behind with his mask still in his hands. The first thing he chose to take notice of wasn't the furniture, or the size of the room, it was the infinity gauntlet sitting on one of the far tables. None of the stones were placed inside, likely being kept somewhere else for safe keeping.

Otto stepped away from his work bench and approached the pair with an aggressive greeting vibe, one muscle movement away from summoning his deadly arms, "Who the hell did you bring in here?!" He asked.

"Otto, it's ok," She tried to ease his nerves, "This is …this is my brother, Koji."

"Koji? You said he was dead!"

His aggression surprised her, but she had gotten used to it despite that. Ever since Beck's death, he had been aggressive and hostile in almost every encounter, "I thought so too, but he's been alive all this time! He wants to help!"

"No," Otto sternly pointed at her, "Get him out of here."

"Excuse me, that isn't your call to make."

"This isn't an argument, get him out. I will not spread out my trust to any strangers."

He had been acting this way for some time; assuming charge over every situation rather than asking for her opinion. What started as a good man with good intentions became cold and cruel to her. "Otto, I just got my brother back, and he helped me find the time stone. I want him to help us finish what I started."

"What you started was a mess. I'm the one that's kept it all together. I make the plans, I supply the tech, I am the one who is finishing this."

There it was, that ego of his. A side of himself he had done so well to suppress until Beck's passing. Now, he embraced it, and she hated every second of his presence because of that. Perhaps she refused to fight him on everything else, but this was just too important, "He's my brother, Octavius. Koji is staying, and he's going to help, so if you have a problem with that, you can pack your stuff and go."

Her sternness was surprising, a form of authority she hadn't shown in a while. Still, that didn't mean he was just going to go and respect her on a dime. "Fine, he can stay for now."

She wanted to shout at him, but he returned to his work immediately after finishing his sentence. Otto wanted nothing to do with Koji, or any of Mayume's feelings. She missed the man that she felt confident talking to, even occasionally flirting with. Now, he was no longer that same man. Perhaps he never would be.

"What now?" Asked Koji.

"Now," She breathed in deep, letting it out slowly, "We find Peter, and get the other stones from him. Then, we can bring our family back."

…

The Midoryia household entered another quiet evening. The three had just finished dinner, and Inko had settled down on the couch with May. The two women had grown rather close these last few weeks, as they spent quite a lot of time together around the house. It was nice to have someone else around to help out other than Izuku. May herself was also experienced with raising a child, especially all by herself. Having someone to talk to about this was comforting.

Inko had control of the remote tonight, scrolling through the many channels. Normally, she would watch the news channel or something on criminal dramas. Lately, it had more often been the latter. The news loves controversy, and nothing has been more controversial recently than Peter. Reporters from every station have spun the story so differently, people are starting to think Spider-Mans existence is all some stunt or rumor people can't get right. Most times, they see him as a villain who attacked Pro Heroes; a U.A student gone rogue. If News outlets love anything, it's diminishing reputations with blatant accusations.

She tried her best to avoid the news channel whenever possible to spare May some pain, but sometimes it was May who wanted to watch such programs. Who could blame her? She wanted to see how Peter was doing.

"Every station here is just like the Bugle," May said as they watched the news, "Back home, the Daily Bugle was a news organization, and they skyrocketed their whole reputation by fueling hatred for Spider-Man. They always pinned everything on him, especially that J. Jonah Jameson. No matter what was going on in the city, somehow it was Spider-Mans fault."

"Everything?" Inko questioned.

"Jameson always found some way to pin it on him, even things he had nothing to do with. The worst part is that everyone believed it. People will believe anything these days."

Inko had to agree with her; with how often people use social media, it's hard not to spot the first sign of proof and clutch to it with a death grip. "Why do you think people are like that? Why are they so keen to believe the first thing they see?"

May paused, taking a moment to consider this. What was it about easy truth that everyone loved so much? Was it really just because it was easy? No, there was more to it, something to do with "…stability. Everyone wants to make sense of our world somehow, because it's just so …bizarre. If we were to really to look at every little nook and corner, we'd probably go insane from overflow."

"You think we can't handle our world?"

"Not one bit."

They continued watching the news, and it finally stopped talking about Peter and moved on to its other favorite subject; All Might, and how other heroes can't compare to him. Taking her words about stability into account, Inko began to see what she meant. The news finds comfort in controversy, and also in All Might. They talked about him none stop and made others seem inferior. They loved to spin the truth and make it reality. Why? Were they scared of the reality they live in? Why did they want it to change so badly?

Then again, maybe she was no different.

As much as she tried to support Izuku, she really hated how much danger he was always in. If he wasn't so passionate, she'd honestly consider pulling him out of that school and keeping him home, letting him take a safer route in life. She wanted to control her reality and change the people in it, even if it hurt them, all so she could feel better. She was guilty of these things even though she wouldn't admit it. Was everyone else the same way?

"May …" Inko kept her hands on her lap, looking down at her feet, "When you found out that Peter was Spider-Man, doing all these dangerous things, did you want him to stop?"

May turned her attention away from the television, confused but happy to answer, "Absolutely. I was worried enough when it was just wrestling matches, but then he started fighting crime as a vigilante! Sometimes, I would lay awake at night thinking tomorrow would be the day I lose him. Every time he got his bags and left for school, I wanted to stop him and keep him inside because I knew he had that costume under his clothes."

"So …why didn't you ever stop him?"

"It wasn't my choice. Being Spider-Man made him into a better person. If I took away that side of him, I'd take away what makes him so amazing. Peter is Spider-Man, and I can't change that even if I took away that silly costume. All I'd be doing is making him suffer."

"Yes …but what if he gets hurt? Isn't it …isn't it worth the price if he lives?"

It was clear this was no longer about Peter. As much as Inko cared for him, it was her own son that caused her such grief, "That's not up to us to decide."

"What if it is?!" Inko exclaimed, regretting it but not recoiling, "I don't want my little Izuku going out there and getting himself killed! Why can't someone else do it?!"

May wanted to say something that might ease her, but found the words lost in her throat. A weight formed in her chest as she put a hand to it, feeling the pain rise up from inside of her. Her heart sped up, feeling the thumping throughout her entire body.

"There are so many heroes out there!" Inko continued, "I just don't understand why Izuku has to join them! That school; it's constantly putting him in harms way! How can I keep allowing that to happen?!"

Inko stopped when she saw how much stress May was under. She had begun to sweat, raining from her forehead down to her chin, and red all over. It looked as though she was about to puke. May held up a hand to ensure she was ok, and stood up straight to adjust her cloths, "I'm getting some water," She said before turning to walk toward the kitchen.

Suddenly, May fell forward and collapsed on the floor, making a loud thud as she hit the ground. Her limbs sprawled out on the carpet as Inko rushed to her side with a rush of panic swooping over her. She tried calling for May, but the elderly woman was out cold. A pulse check; it was still beating, but terribly fast. Inko called for Izuku, who came rushing into the room.

"Mom! What happened?!" Asked Izuku.

"Get the phone!" She begged her son, "Call for help!"