"Welcome Izuku Midoriya. We have much to discuss." A man said to Izuku as he turned around and faced him.
He radiated an aura of death, despair, and misery that was overwhelming. He wore a simple black suit with shoes that gave him the appearance of a gentleman, which reminded Izuku of Kurogiri when he was dressed in his bar outfit. But the thing that made him look all the more intimidating to Izuku was the helmet that resided on him. It covered his entire head and carried a vague resemblance to a skull with a bunch of pipes connected to the neck.
"Wh-who are you." Izuku said stuttering full force as he could barely manage to speak.
"I am All for One." The man said as he straightened the tie on his shirt.
'All for One? What kind of a name is that, and what did he mean when he said we have much to discuss?' Izuku thought as he tried to not have a nervous breakdown.
"I must congratulate you on the success of your assignment," All for One continued as he walked towards Izuku gracefully. "Capturing the Pro Hero Ragdoll, even with the help of a Nomu is still rather impressive, given your Quirkless status."
Izuku blanked when All for One said that piece of information. He had never seen the man in front of him before, and only the League knw that he was Quirkless. So the fact that All for One knew that was very unsettling to the young Villain. Plus the way he talked made it seem like he was in charge and in control of the entire situation the both of them were in, similar to how Izuku had done nearly less than an hour ago with Ragdoll.
"H-How did you know-" Izuku tried to ask but was interrupted.
"How did I know that you were Quirkless correct?" All for One both finished and asked.
"Yes sir." Izuku managed to say while nodding his head weakly.
"I know much about you Izuku Midoriya, or would you prefer I use the name Deku," All for One answered before continuing. "I know that you specifically trained the Nomu behind you to use certain tool load outs and do certain things depending on what fingers you snap or the position of your hand. I know that you have a tragic past within the last year regarding hero's and a certain incident that led to you joining the League of Villains. I even know that you have a deep hatred of a Katsuki Bakugo the winner of the UA sports festival who also placed number 1 on the entrance exam to UA, the school you wished to attend for Heroics."
Izuku was blindsided and nearly fell back when All for One practically rattled off his life story in a small nutshell. He was at a loss and very curious on how he knew all of that about him. It's not like it was public knowledge or knowledge that others knew, such as what he had learned and researched on Ragdoll, albeit he did dig into some private records that he had requested from the League and was provided that he hadn't questioned on how they obtained it.
'Perhaps it's his Quirk, but if that's the case than what kind of Quirk is it?' Izuku thought as he wondered what else All for One knew about him.
"N-no disrespect in-intended sir, but that didn't answer my question." Izuku managed to wheeze out, which caused All for One to give a small chuckle.
"No I suppose it didn't," All for One began as he let out a large breath before continuing. "To answer your Question it was both a mix of one of my Quirks and researching into your past. And yes you heard me correctly when I said One of my Quirks."
That information nearly caused Izuku to faint. How could anybody possess more than one Quirk. Sure he knew the Nomu's possessed more than one Quirk, but he assumed that was from them being melded together in whatever Science Hell they came from. But the fact that the man in front of him, All for One said that he possessed more than one Quirk was nigh unbelievable. Was he some sort of advanced Nomu that was created to possess a mind of it's own. Did he somehow perform some sort of operation to collect other Quirks into his body similar to the Nomu's. Or was it just another Quirk all together entirely. He HAD to know which one it was and how it was possible.
"How do you have multiple Quirks?" Izuku asked doing his best to not studded, and succeed in not stuttering, but not managing to project his voice very loudly.
"That was one of the things I wished to discuss with you Midoriya," All for One said as he folded his arms behind his back. "But I do believe we have other matters before hand, such as the one currently in your arms."
That snapped Izuku's mind back to the weight in his arms, suddenly them becoming weak and shaking from strain. Before Izuku could struggle to drop her she was taken from his hands by All for One swiftly and so quickly that he didn't even hear anything.
"I understand you wish for her to be healed correct," All for One rhetorically asked, already knowing the answer and receiving a weak nod from Izuku. "Well then follow me."
As All for One turned and began walking into the darkness of wherever they were, illuminated only by various dim lights and glowing things. Izuku hesitated as the whole situation he was in was putting him on edge. Yes nearly everyone in the League that he knew of had set him on edge at least one, including Mustard, but not to the level that All for One was putting him on. Sure he could probably try and run from All for One, but he was curious on what he wanted to discuss with him about and also he had the feeling that since All for One had multiple Quirks running wouldn't be the best option. so he slowly followed All for One into the dark abyss.
"I must say it is rather odd for a villain to show concern for a hero that they grievously wounded such as you are," All for One said breaking the silence of their walk. "If you would, please indulge me on your reasoning."
Izuku was flummoxed by All for One's question. Sure he knew that it was odd for a villain to show concern for a hero, but he hadn't expected All for One to ask about that. Was there some sort of ulterior motive behind All for One's question to him, or was it just a basic question.
'Is he... testing me for something?' Izuku asked himself, before deciding that he should answer truthfully just in case All for One had a Quirk that could detect lies.
"Well I-I believe that she would be of more use healed, ra-rather than a bloody mess." Izuku answered his stuttering returned as after he started talking All for One shifted his gaze onto him again, stressing him out as sweat started to seep from his body.
All for One gave a slight 'Hmm' sound as he returned his head to a forward facing view. Izuku started fidgeting with his hands a little, in an attempt to ease his nervousness. Had he answered correctly, or did he say something wrong and had unknowingly sealed his fate.
"Rather.. observant of you Midoriya," All for One commended Izuku, which caught him off guard as he had not expected praise. "Not many would truly see or look that deep into meaning on an assignment."
Izuku was dumbstruck, he hadn't looked deep into his assignment to kidnap Ragdoll. He just knew he had to capture her and naturally the phrasing of the word "capture" instead of "kill" meant that she had to be alive. And if she had to be alive than she couldn't be critically wounded as she was now, it was a simple as that.
"I-i'm afraid I don't understand." Izuku said hoping to receive an answer to relieve his confusion.
They stopped walking after he said that before he got an answer, since it appeared they had traveled to wherever it was All for One was taking him. It appeared to be just another big open space full of blackness, although Izuku could make out the slab that was in front of All for One. Izuku watched as All for One carefully laid Ragdoll's unconscious body on the slab making sure she wouldn't accidentally roll over from gravity and cause further injury to herself.
"That is quite alright Midoriya, for even if you do not currently see it you have indeed looked into a deeper meaning of your assignment that only Tomura and Kurogiri knew of."
The use of Shigaraki's first name was off putting to Izuku. He knew that Kurogiri was on a first name bases with Shigaraki, but he had assumed that was because they had been in the League and knew each other for a long time. Were they old friends who knew each other, or was All for One a higher leader in the League that he outranked Shigaraki. He didn't know what kind of relationship All for One had with Shigaraki, but he had the distinct feeling he would be finding out about it really soon.
"If you would please stand next to me." all for One asked which struck Izuku as odd, like many other things that had happened in the span of the last few minutes overall.
Izuku complied and shuffled next to the masked villain and looked down at the body of Ragdoll. Even unconscious he could see the look of pain on her face, and the ever so slight rapid rising and falling from her chest as she breathed. Again it hurt him to see someone like this that he caused to be, that he nearly looked away out of guilt. The keyword was nearly, since he didn't want to appear weak to what was obviously a larger villain than him. What snapped him out of his momentary gaze was when All for One moved his right hand and placed it onto Ragdoll's body. A vibrant light shone from All for One's hand as Izuku concluded he was activating a healing Quirk of some kind he possessed. Izuku watched in slight awe at how the light spread from the tips of All for One's fingers to slowly cover Ragdoll, the light shining the most over the various cuts and bruises she had sustained during her and the Nomu's battle. And then just like that Izuku watched as the cuts sealed themselves and the bruises disappeared, from there on he could only assume all of her skeletal structure damage was also being healed as he heard a few resounding cracks and saw various parts on Ragdoll's boy shift. The next thing Izuku knew All for One was lifting his hand off of Ragdoll who was now completely healed and just rested there as she remained unconscious.
"Rather impressive isn't it?" All for One asked snapping Izuku out of his trance from the spectacle he just watched.
"Wha-what kind of Quirk was that." Izuku asked, and immediately hoped he was not to direct or impolite with the man.
All for One actually found the situation rather funny, giving off another chuckle before answering Izuku's question.
"I simply call it "Flash Heal" from the flashes of light that it gives off," All for One said as he looked down at the hand he used to heal Ragdoll and flexed it. "Do you like it?"
What did he mean by that, Izuku wondered. Sure he found the Quirk from the little he had seen of it useful, and was already thinking about the various ways it could be useful and ways to help improve it. His habit of Quirk analysis habits hadn't ceased since he lost his obsession with heroes, so instead he just analyzed any Quirk he was able to get up close to and observe. So yeah he liked it but what good would asking that question do.
"I think its useful from what I've seen." Izuku said nervously as he glanced up towards All fro One's face looking for his response.
"It's very useful to all except myself," All for One said before continuing, not giving Izuku the chance to ponder what he meant by that. "It heals all injuries that can still be healed. The only drawback is that it can only heal someone who is not the user, making it ineffective to heal my injuries," All for One said in a rather disappointed tone at himself. "But in someone Else's hand it could be quite effective since I have other healing or damage removing Quirks at my disposal."
'He has more than one healing Quirk!' Izuku thought surprised since Healing Quirks of any kind were quite rare, which made them all the more valuable to any side that could get them be they Hero or Villain.
"As part of a reward how would you like to have it?" All for One asked.
Wait wait wait wait wait! Hold up! Rewind! Did he actually just hear All for One correctly, how would he like the Healing Quirk. It was already difficult for him to accept that All for One supposedly had multiple Quirks, especially since he had only seen Flash Heal so far. But to give someone a Quirk, that was something Izuku found nigh impossible to if it was true than could he... no best not to get his hopes up after all. The sole reason he became a villain was to show other people like Bakugo that he could be strong and amount to something even without a Quirk, and he wouldn't just go and break that entire vow he made himself and others now.
"I-I can't," Izuku said in a low tone as his head and body slunk down, before he picked himself up. "I thank you for the offer sir, as unbelievable that it sounds. But the entire reason I became a villain was to prove that just because someone is Quirkless they aren't worthless, and since the Heroes couldn't see that then I allied myself with the League."
The room basked in a new found silence after Izuku gave his momentary small speech. All for One could say he was surprised, or he could say he was disappointed. But the truth was is that he was neither as he fully expected the answer that Izuku would give, since he had been closely monitoring every new member of the League whenever he could to determine their strengths, weaknesses, and loyalty. And from his observations on Izuku it was no far stretch to determine the strong resolve the boy had for wanting to show that he was not weak because he was Quirkless. All for One was fully prepared to give up Flash Heal should Midoriya have said yes to his question, but in Izuku doing so would have shown that his entire wish and goal of showing that a person was Quirkless would be for not. As he would have had a Quirk at that point thus making him out to be both a hypocrite and weak willed. In truth All for One had been testing Izuku ever since he joined the League, whether or not he knew of it was another matter entirely.
The Nomu was another one of the tests All for One had given and closely observed, as well as Izuku's mission to capture Ragdoll. He watched both of them either through hidden cameras in the case of the Nomu training, or another one of his Quirks in the case of him acquiring Ragdoll. All for One could say he was impressed by the depth and attention to detail Izuku put into training the Nomu to obey certain commands and hand motions that went beyond words. Mostly when people had used the Nomus in the past they only told the Nomus what to do, a less than effective way compared to what Izuku did when he drilled certain tool load outs for different scenarios or strategies depending on the situation. Essentially what Izuku had done was eliminate the verbal component of controlling the Nomu entirely with hours of drilling it with the same command, and causing it to memorize what each one meant. And just recently with Izuku's fight with Ragdoll he was able to act calm and rational when he was for the first time in a combat situation as a Villain. He was not only able to intimidate other students that got in his way, but drive them away, silently call his Nomu back to blindside Ragdoll, and then sedate Ragdoll and bring her back requesting medical aid for her knowing that she would be more good alive than dead. His observation and deduction skills whether or not he knew them were very rare to find in a person whose Quirk did not assist them in those aspects.
"Rather commendable then Izuku Midoriya," All for One said as he slowly and lightly clapped his hands. "Even when offered a Quirk you stick to your values to stay Quirkless in order to prove your strength. That kind of devotion is very rare to find in many people nowadays."
"y-you really mean it?" Izuku asked as he was unsure if the praise he was receiving from turning down the Quirk was genuine or not.
"Of course, although to me and the others in the League you have already proven that you are strong despite your being Quirkless." All for One said as he stopped clapping and turned to face Izuku face to face.
"I... have?" Izuku said slowly as he was genuinely confused on how exactly he had proven his he had succeeded in his mission but that was mainly due to his studying and the immense power of the Nomu.
"You have," All for One continued as he placed his hands on Izuku's shoulders, which caused the young villain to flinch at the sudden contact. "For you have not only used your strong intellect to train the Nomu I asked Tomura to give you, you also used your swiftness and cunning on the battlefield to control nearly every aspect of the conflict between you and Ragdoll," All for One said his voice filled with pride as he spoke to Izuku, who began to have tears well up in his eyes from the praise he was receiving. A problem he was still working to overcome, but was having difficulties since well... he's a Midoriya what can he do. "So you see Izuku Midoriya, strength is not always being able to defeat someone in a battle of muscle or might. Your strength comes from your brain and ken intellect, you have in the short time that you've been in the League proven your strength to me and the others." All for One nearly concluded as he used one of his fingers to wipe the falling tears from Izuku's eyes. "In truth not only I, but Tomura and Kurogiri believed you worthy of a Quirk being granted to you for your efforts. And while I would normally not put this kind of effort and time into someone whom I am only meeting for the first time. But I find you a special case Izuku Midoriya, a child shunned nearly all his life by society who stomped him down and trampled his dream every chance they were given. When I look at you Midoriya I see a broken child whom only wanted to be told that he could achieve his dream, a dream that was replaced not so long ago to prove that he was in fact able to achieve what others deemed impossible or useless for him to even attempt. So know this Izuku Midoriya, Tomura would not have asked me to look into you had he himself not seen the immense potential in you that many overlooked."
Izuku's tears were now streaming down his face full force. Here he was having been offered a Quirk, that he turned down and said he didn't want it because of his vow he made. And was being congratulated for already having proven his strength by the head of the League of Villains, that even outranked Shigaraki. The same leader that apparently knew his whole life story, and truly said he believed in him despite the fact he was Quirkless. He really had no idea on how he was supposed to feel about everything right now since he never really received this kind of genuine praise from anyone before. So when the floodgates opened he was powerless to stop it.
"Th-Thank you sir." Izuku said between sobs to himself as he bowed his head.
"I give praise where it is due Midoriya," All for One said as he back stepped away from the crying teen, in order to give him some space. "You have shown that you are worthy enough to stand among the others in the League such as Tomura. Do not let sadness be the reason why you cry, let them be tears of joy. Let them be tears of the sweat and blood you have, and will spill in the future to accomplish your goals."
Izuku's knees buckled beneath him as he was unable to remain standing and collapsed on them. He buried his face in his hands in an attempt to cease crying like he was. He never thought the day could come when someone would tell him he could do something despite being Quirkless. His hands clenched up and his nails dug into his cheeks as memories of all the abuse and neglect he suffered from his peers and other adults flooded back into him. He was filled with hatred towards all of them who tirelessly beat him into submission every day. And soon those memories were replaced by ones since he had joined the League. They had believed in them nearly since he joined. The ones that mattered did not discriminate because he was Quirkless, and instead judged him on his other skills and personality. He found it ironic really that a bunch of murderers, thieves, delinquents, and a few... well mainly composed of psychopaths and Villains believed in him, whereas the Heroes and those aspiring to be Heroes did not.
His crying stopped as he lighted his grip on his face, just before he drew blood. He wiped the remaining tears that still lingered in his eyes or on his face as he stood up.
"I truly thank you for everything you've said sir," Izuku said as he revealed his face again, his eyes hard and filled with some unknown emotion. "In truth the old me probably would have accepted the Quirk you offered for the sole reason of it being a Quirk, but not the current me," Izuku said as his hands balled up into fists, his nail again digging into his skin this time on his palms. "But until I've proven to the entire world that a Quirkless person such as myself is strong enough to match a person with a Quirk like All Might, I have no desire of proving them right in that I need a Quirk to be something."
'Another excellent speech Izuku Midoriya,' All for One congratulated in his head. 'You prove to be the real diamond in the rough of society. A cunning analytical mind and personality, coupled with a true sense of loyalty and a drive for a goal with the ambition to achieve it. Tomura was right when he said you were a special case.'
"I believe it is time for your reward Izuku Midoriya," All for One finally said.
Unlike before Izuku did not falter in his footing or show any sign that he was caught off guard. He merely nodded his head as he looked at All for One and waited to see what his reward was. He watched as All for One rose his hand into the darkness and pressed some unknown button, as a discernible 'click' sound was heard. Light flooded the room upon the activation of the button. Izuku looked around in awe at what he was seeing, he had known the League had a supply of Nomu's but he never knew they had this many.
All around the room Nomu's resided in large testing tubes, that were illuminated with an eerie green glow which was the same ones Izuku had noticed earlier before the lights were turned on. A few were even outside of the tubes and were resting on metal slabs similar to the one Ragdoll was on currently, but these ones were either cut open to reveal their insides or were missing limbs and other body parts. Everywhere Izuku looked he saw or found some new piece of science equipment that he had no idea what most of them did or were for. He also saw that in one corner of the room a lot of life support and breathing equipment resided in front of a wall of monitor screens, that from where Izuku was standing could see that they were showing images from the bar and other warehouse's at various angles. A cliche villain mastermind that lurks in the shadows but always watches the other villains, Izuku thought laughing in his head but not daring to do so out loud. Instead his eyes retained their calculative and cold demeanor but displayed an image of childish awe and curiosity that was rarely seen on Izuku when he wasn't researching some Quirk that got his attention.
"My reward to you is everything and everyone in this warehouse, baring me and one thing I have yet to collect Midoriya." All for One said as he watched Izuku look around the Nomu factory warehouse with wonder.
It was then that the full effect of what All for One had said took hold of Izuku. 'Every thing and... every one?' Izuku questioned internally as he ran a mental replay of what All for One had said.
"Could you please repeat that sir." Izuku asked politely as he faced All for One, hoping he wasn't about to make a fool of himself.
"You heard me correctly Midoriya," All for One said as he folded his hands together. "Baring me and something I have yet to collect everything in this warehouse is now yours. And I mean everything Midoriya."
Izuku was mentally taken aback and surprised by that. He was receiving the entire warehouse that was full of Nomus, and possessed the notes and means to make more of them. Along with all the other scientific notes and tools that were lying about the massive room, it was staggering what he was receiving. But then Izuku remembered the other thing that All for One said was part of his reward. He wasn't just getting everything, but... everyone as well.
"I'm sorry. But when you say everyone does that mean." Izuku said as he motioned towards the unconscious form of Ragdoll.
All for One smiled beneath his mask, which went unseen by Izuku. He was wondering when that question would be raised after he told him what his reward was. Because now it was time for Izuku's final test that All for One had in store for him.
"Yes Midoriya even her," All for One said as Izuku's eyes grew in shock as he wasn't expecting to be given a person."You may do with her what you will. You can ransom her, keep her, or set her free with no strings attached. Or if you really wanted to you could turn her into a Nomu, it is your choice now after all."
Izuku gulped as All for One listed the things he could possibly do with Ragdoll. Was that his mission all along, to kidnap Ragdoll for his own self without being told. No he knew there was some other ulterior motive behind him acquiring Ragdoll. And from the small hints he had picked up from All for One, he had a good idea on what the one thing he had yet to collect was.
"Pardon my asking," Izuku said calmly trying not to sound rude or accusing in what he was about to say. "But the thing you have yet to collect, it's Ragdoll's quirk isn't it?"
All for One let out an audible chuckle from behind his mask. "You are very perceptive. Yes once I acquire Ragdoll's Quirk, she will be yours to do with as you please," All for One confirmed as he began stepping towards Ragdoll at a moderate pace. "And now that you know and are aware of it, I shall send you back to the bar until I am through here," All for One continued as he now stood in front of Ragdoll's slab. "Once I am done I will let Kurogiri know to inform you and warp you and whomever else in the League you wish to here."
Izuku stammered for a bit trying to find the right words to say, but found a simple yes sir and nodding his head the easiest he could do.
"I will try not to be long Midoriya." All for One said as he activated his warping Quirk/
Izuku began to be engulfed in a black sludge like substance. He started to panic as a sense of déjà vu washed over him, as flashbacks of the sludge villain from a long time ago returned. However unlike the sludge of that villain, he could breath through the black slime. As he began to feel himself disappearing to wherever he was being warped to he did his best to calm himself down. He didn't want to be freaking out like a fish out of water when he returned to the bar, where no doubt the others of the League were already back from their mission as he heard his radio link go off during the time he was with All for One, but did not answer it out of respect and he couldn't quite make out what they were saying. Soon he felt the familiar cedar wood smell of the bar enter his nose, as the sludge started to slither back into nothingness. He felt his hair and body slink back into place as he cracked his neck. Looking he saw that the others were just arriving as Kurogiri's portals were still open.