Chapter Four:

Izuku had been prepared to accept Katsuki sitting at his lunch table, if only because he knew the futility of trying to stop Kacchan from doing whatever he wanted. However, he had not invited the additional four interlopers who had settled around him with lunch trays.

"Are you pumped about the Sports Festival?" Kirishima asked, ripping through a corndog (including the stick) with some amazingly sharp teeth. "I'm pumped about the Sports Festival." He reached for a French fry.

Katsuki growled, "Those are mine, Shitty Hair."

"Arm wrestle you for the fries," Kirishima said, and they immediately pushed aside to their trays to lock arms.

Mina leapt up and stood over them. "I call referee! Three, two, one, go!"

Katsuki and Kirishima growled, veins standing out on their necks as their hands locked.

"Go Kirishima!" Kaminari shouted. He leaned over and faked a gasp. "Bakugo, there's something stuck in your teeth."

"There is not," Katsuki growled. "Stop trying to distract me, Sparky."

"I mean it," Kaminari lied. "If you think you can be distracted by me, then doesn't that mean you're worried about losing?"

"I am not!" Katsuki jerked his neck around, which caused his grip to slip. Kirishima pinned his arm down to the table.

Mina brought her arm down. "Winner: Kirishima."

"That didn't count!" Katsuki roared, flipping over his tray and sending French fries flying. "Rematch!"

Izuku stifled a laugh. Kaminari might not have known Katsuki for very long, but he'd figured out the correct provocations fast. Actually, Izuku liked all of Katsuki's new friends. It was great to see his temperamental childhood friend had found another rival he respected and more people who weren't scared off by his prickles. But Izuku had resolved not to make any new friends at U.A. He hadn't driven off Tenya and Ochaco on the first day just to get dragged into a different friend group.

Sero sighed and brushed a fry off his bottle of lemonade. "Ugh. I swear, Midoriya, we're the only two sane men in this group."

Nope, not being part of the group. Izuku said, "Uh, I think I'm mostly done my lunch and I'll leave." He started to rise.

Sero snapped his fingers. "You're the kuudere of the group, just like how Bakugo is the tsundere."

Izuku snorted out a small laugh. He couldn't help it. From Sero's small grin, he'd noticed his victory.

"Who are you calling a tsundere?" Katsuki shrieked. From behind Izuku came the sound of explosions and more food being thrown.

Izuku kept walking away. He didn't have the heart for a stricter rejection. It already hurt enough that Ochaco clearly became more subdued around him. Maybe he should start avoiding them by eating lunch outside the cafeteria. Katsuki would be fine on his own now he had more friends. It would be good to start putting some distance between himself and his childhood friend, so hopefully Katsuki wouldn't be tainted by association if and when Izuku went down in flames.

On that sour note, Izuku returned his tray and headed for the door. Lost in thought, he bumped into a muscular chest. "I'm sorry," Izuku said, looking up.

"No harm done, young Midoriya," All Might boomed. "Here you go!" He scrawled off his autograph and tossed it over. Ah, what an interesting piece of All Might lore—the hero wrote with his left hand.

Izuku stared at the signature in his hands. That had been odd. Yes, he'd wanted an autograph in his guilty way, but All Might couldn't have possibly known that. Did he just go around randomly giving people autographs? Maybe the number one hero was a bit egotistical?

Standing before the class, Aizawa announced, "Our Sports Festival is the greatest opportunity you'll get."

The other students erupted into conversation. His head on his desk, Izuku stifled a yawn. He'd been sleeping poorly lately. The Sports Festival was pointless to a spy. All for One would probably order Izuku to keep a low profile. Back in Izuku's middle school days he'd dreamed of winning the U.A. Sports Festival. The old Izuku would have gone nuts to win upon learning that this year All Might would be handing out the medals. The current Izuku had way bigger concerns.

Clearly, Izuku had to find and rescue his mother before another mess like U.S.J. occurred. But how? Tomura had texted Izuku that his mother had been moved to a nice new room. From their last video call, the previous room had been a concrete cell with a bucket. Anything would be an improvement, even if Izuku didn't trust Tomura's definition of nice.

Izuku texted back asking if he could visit. He also made up a story about being worried about his mother's allergies and asked if they were near any flowering plants. Inko did not have allergies. Izuku was probing for location clues. It would be a big help if he knew if his mother was being kept in the city or not. If Izuku could obtain a location, then he could finally go the heroes for help.

Across the room, Ochaco was pumping her fist in the air and shouting.

Izuku's phone buzzed. Tomura said, Good news and bad news. The good news is that I found a new recruit for us! Since you've joined my side, I thought I should start assembling a proper party instead of just the disposable small fry. You're the team thief, I'm the warrior, and new guy could be a mage or an archer type, so we have proper party balance.

Eye twitching, Izuku wondered how the hell this was considered good news. His enemies were multiplying.

The bad news: Sensei shut down the visit plan, sorry. I'll visit your mom in your place and ask her how she's feeling.

A chill ran down Izuku's spine. Oh no, had All for One noticed that Izuku had been probing for information? He'd definitely noticed! Izuku should have been more subtle! He clutched his hair and moaned.

Katsuki slapped Izuku on the back. "You look nervous, nerd. Scared I'll crush you in the Sports Festival?"

"It's such a big opportunity. Very nerve-wracking," Izuku said dully. He didn't even have the words for how little he cared about the Sports Festival.

Izuku had purchased a lunch at the convenience store that morning. He snuck out the garden to eat. Even if he hadn't already resolved to avoid Katsuki and his friends, he especially wanted to be alone right now. He couldn't take their cheerful chatter about the Sports Festival and potential internships when he was going out of his mind with worry. Even though he hadn't used his quirk, his stomach throbbed. He might not be able to keep his lunch down.

Upon glimpsing a skinny man leaned against the school wall panting, Izuku's helpful instincts took over. "Mr. Yagi! Are you all right?"

"Just a little tired." Toshinori wiped blood from his mouth. Glancing at Izuku's lunch, his face became concerned. "Why are you eating lunch alone? If the other kids are bullying you, then you can tell me."

"No, no, it's not like that." Izuku swallowed. "Everyone is cheerful about the Sports Festival, and I received some difficult news about my father. I can't bear to be around my class right now."

"Ah." Toshinori's face turned sympathetic. He sat down on the bench and patted the seat next to him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Izuku definitely didn't want to talk about his father's fake illness, which he'd yet to come up with a decent cover story for. But he did kinda want to vent his complicated feelings to someone. A janitor should be below All for One's notice, making Toshinori the closest thing to a safe person to associate with. Izuku sat down and opened his bag, staring at an unappetizing storebought sandwich. "I feel jealous of everyone else for being happy. I hate this feeling, and I'm ashamed of it."

Toshinori hmm-ed under his breath. "A little jealousy is completely understandable. Heroes don't have to be perfect, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You're not to blame for your feelings, only how you handle them."

Izuku swallowed. He desperately wanted to talk to a quirkless person even if he couldn't admit to his own former status. "Are you proud of Aoyama for becoming a quirkless hero? Or does it make you feel jealous?"

Toshinori admitted, "It's a complicated feeling for me, because I wanted to become a hero as a teenager. I pursued a different dream and never became a quirkless hero because I believed that to be impossible."

Izuku exhaled, so happy to have met someone else who felt the same way. "And now you find out that it would have been possible all along."

"Exactly. But I'm content with how my life turned out." Toshinori's gaze became distant. "If I could go back in time, I would still have chosen this path. I want to see young Aoyama succeed in my old dream. Even with my complicated feelings, I'm still rooting him on with all my heart. Sometimes I wonder if he would want a quirk or if he thinks the world needs a quirkless hero…but that's a question I should ask him."

Izuku tore off a bit of sandwich but didn't eat it. "Then even if you didn't become a hero, you're still happy?" Izuku knew that no matter how his current situation turned out, he'd be unlikely to ever become a hero. He wanted to believe it was possible for him to give up on his dream without forever feeling bitter.

"Huh? Oh, yes, plenty of people live happy lives without becoming heroes. But you have shown great potential, young Midoriya. I believe your dream is worth pursuing."

Izuku's stomach turned. The smell of his sandwich lunchmeat made him nauseous. He put it down. "Thanks." Despite his best efforts, his tone was dull.

Toshinori hovered. "Is there something else bothering you?"

"It's nothing you could help me with." Izuku laughed bitterly. "I doubt you could give me any advice on finding a person."

"You might be surprised," Toshinori said. "Who are you looking for?"

Izuku regretted saying anything. He made up a lie on the fly. "Just some woman my dad cheated on my mom with."

"Young Midoriya, I'm sorry. I don't think confronting this woman will help you—"

"She stole some money from my family."

"Oh, dear." Toshinori shook his head. "If you give me a name, I could help you. You'd be surprised at the connections I've developed over the years."

A janitor at U.A. would probably know a lot of heroes who'd once been students here, but they were the last people Izuku could involve in his search for his mother. "Nah, it's like you said, I should probably let this go."

Toshinori frowned. "But your family must be in dire need of money right now, with your father's illness."

"The American authorities are on the case. I doubt there's anything I can do."

"You can tell me if you change your mind. I know a website with resources on tracking people down. I've found it useful—my hero friends say it's useful."

Izuku figured it couldn't hurt. "Thank you."

Toshinori wrote down the web address in Izuku's notebook. Oddly, he wrote with his right hand even though he'd wiped off blood from his mouth with his left hand. The words looked shaky. Briefly, Izuku wondered if Toshinori was disguising his handwriting. Then he realized there would be no possible reason for that, plenty of people were ambidextrous, and association with All for One had made him paranoid.

The bell rang. Izuku stood up. "I should get to class."

Toshinori's brow wrinkled. "You barely ate anything. Is your stomach upset again?"

Izuku couldn't afford to get booted from U.A. for being too sick all the time. "I just miss my mom's home cooking. I'll eat later." His backpack over his shoulder, he hesitated. "Talking to you did make me feel better. Thank you."

Toshinori smiled and twisted a lock of hair. The gesture seemed a little familiar to Izuku for some reason. "By the way, I heard you got your autograph from All Might! Did that cheer you up too?"

"I guess." Izuku frowned. "Though it turns out All Might is the kind of hero who randomly throws his autograph at people who didn't ask for it. He's more egotistical than I expected."

Toshinori fell over coughing up blood. Izuku ran to help him, crying, "Mr. Yagi! I'll get you to Recovery Girl, just hang on."

Inko's new prison cell looked more like a hotel room. There was a double bed with an excess of cushions atop the lavender cover. A brown leather chair sat in the corner, across from the television. Clothing taken from her home filled the closet. There was a proper bathroom attached with a shower. But the door did not have a knob on the inside. The fake window showed a video scene of a forest, and Inko suspected the mirror let people on the outside view her.

Tomura handed Inko a paper bag. "I went back for more of your loot."

She looked inside. He'd collected a dozen books from her shelf at home and her favorite strawberry shampoo. It was a mixture of sweet and violating. She made herself smile gently and without any trace of her nausea. "Thank you, Tomura. This is very kind."

Tomura scratched his neck and grunted.

Inko pulled out some hand lotion. "Here, let me," she said, reaching out.

"You don't have to," he mumbled. But he looked sideways when he said it, which meant he didn't truly mind. Back when Hisashi had lived at home, Inko had been hyper-sensitive to his every last mood and gesture. She'd applied the same skills to surviving in this prison.

Inko carefully applied the lotion to Tomura's dried skin. "There, good as new." She adopted her best motherly tone. She'd noticed that Tomura responded well to that.

Very slightly, Tomura flushed. He scratched again, then stopped himself. When they'd first met, Inko had been terrified of this villain wearing severed hands. Now he no longer wore the hands around her. Inko suspected that Tomura was like a hedgehog, all spikey on the outside but with a very soft underbelly. She almost felt guilty for manipulating him, but guilt was another emotion she'd learned to let go of while enduring her abusive husband. Survival came before everything else.

Tomura propped up his phone on the dining table. "You can take a short video to send to Player Two. Don't tell Sensei."

"Of course not," Inko said. She'd quickly guessed that she'd better not even try to manipulate All for One. It wouldn't work, and he had absolutely no mercy lurking behind his smirk.

Smiling at the camera, Inko put on a brave face for her son. And she prayed he'd understand the message she was trying to send him.

Izuku had set his phone to Do Not Disturb, then rested it on his knee. He glanced down every couple seconds, afraid to miss any messages. He was terrified that All for One would have something to say on the subject of his attempt to see his mother.

Instead, a message from an unknown number popped up. Tomura Shigaraki here with a burner phone. I couldn't let you meet your mom, but she recorded a video for you. I'm sending over our new Player Three to hand it to you in-person, so Sensei doesn't find out. Delete this message after you get it and never play the video on your phone, because he's got a quirk that can read your phone's data when you're around him. Can you meet Player Three outside the U.A. gates soon?

Thank you! Thank you so much! Izuku replied. I'm coming right now.

Afterward, Izuku deleted his message from Tomura, as he deleted all texts related to his reluctant spy job. He didn't want to be caught by something as stupid as a teacher confiscating his phone after he used it in class.

Wait, what did Tomura's new friend look like? Crap, Izuku couldn't ask because he'd already deleted the text. He kept getting sloppy when he panicked. He had to stop making mistakes like this. Hopefully anyone who associated with Tomura would be distinctive.

Groaning, Izuku clutched his stomach. He raised his hand. "Mr. Aizawa, I don't feel well."

Scowling, Aizawa whirled around from the blackboard. "Hurry, get to the infirmary before you throw up again. Can someone go with Midoriya?"

Izuku's stomach troubles were still a convenient excuse to get out of class. He stood up. "I'll be fine."

Unfortunately, the boy with half-red and half-white hair raised his hand. "I'll take him."

Wasn't his name Shouto Todoroki? This ruined Izuku's plan to head straight to the gates. Summoning up fake sincerity, he mumbled his thanks.

Shouto offered Izuku an arm as they walked down the hallway. Shaking his head, Izuku said, "No need. I'm not that sick. I won't throw up on you, ha-ha."

A nervous energy radiated off Shouto, in contrast to his usual cool demeanor in class. He swallowed. "It looks like you've been having a lot of side-effects from your quirk."

"I'm fine," Izuku said forcefully.

Shouto jittered. "It can be dangerous to overuse your quirk. Very, very, dangerous. People have died." Something about the sad, distant emphasis on that last word left little doubt that Shouto had known someone who'd suffered such a sad fate.

Izuku sighed. "My quirk just makes me a little nauseous. It's nothing to worry about."

Shouto shot quick, furtive glances at Izuku as they walked. "It's made you sick every single day at school. You've vomited repeatedly—"

"Once, that only happened once."

"I overheard you throwing up in the school bathroom, Midoriya. I don't mean to intrude, but I'm very worried. You keep getting paler and sicker every day. You've been having trouble concentrating in class. You fell asleep at your desk a couple times." Shouto ticked off the symptoms on his fingers. "Look, I've done some research into quirk overuse…for personal reasons. Sometimes children's bodies have trouble handling their quirks, but they develop more resistance as they grow older and their bodies strengthen. Overtraining makes the problem worse. Experts say that you should stop using your quirk for a while if you're experiencing severe side-effects. Have you seen a quirk counselor or a doctor?"

Under other circumstances, Izuku would be curious about Shouto's research and why this topic seemed so very personal to him. However, right now Izuku had too many problems of his own to care about anyone else's. His quirk wasn't the only source of his illness. And Izuku couldn't afford to let anyone notice he had something wrong with him. It was very worrying that Shouto had been observing him so closely. What if Shouto, sincerely trying to help, went to the teachers with his concerns?

Unfortunately, Izuku was going to need to be cruel to an innocent person again.

Stopping, Izuku bared his teeth. "Is this your tactic to get rid of the competition, Todoroki? You want me to drop out so that I can't threaten your place as top of the class? I'd expect such dirty tactics from Endeavor's son. Your father has all kinds of nasty rumors floating around about him. You disgust me. Stay away from me, or I'll tell everyone in class what you're like."

None of that was true. Izuku could tell that Shouto was sincerely concerned about him. Endeavor didn't have any more scandals than the usual trash talk that all famous heroes got online, but Izuku hoped that insulting Shouto's father would cross his bottom line. Ideally, Shouto would think that Izuku was a jerk and no longer care about helping him.

But instead of getting angry, Shouto looked like he might cry. "I know that becoming a hero is important to you. There's a lot of pressure on people with strong quirks to go into heroism. But you could use support equipment during our practical exercises, like Aoyama. You don't have to keep hurting your body like this. You can't become a hero if you're dead! There have even been people who've burned alive after overusing their quirks. Please, I want to help you." Shouto's fingers dug into the scar on his face. A single tear formed in the corner of his eye.

Izuku breathed heavily, with no idea what to say. He could hardly admit that his quirk wasn't the source of his stress. More than anything, Izuku wanted to comfort Shouto. Every instinct in his body screamed in that direction. But Izuku could not afford to get close to someone already suspicious of him. He had to carry out his act to the bitter end.

"Just leave me alone!" Izuku screamed, then fled down the hallway.

After racing across half the school, Izuku's heart pounded. That had been lame. He felt nauseous, this time for real. What was he going to do?

First off, Izuku needed to obtain his mother's message. All his other worries, he would save for later. At the infirmary, Izuku opened the door without knocking. From past experience, Recovery Girl was hard of hearing. Izuku snuck past her and hid behind one of the bed curtains. When her back was turned, he escaped out the window. Then he left the school.

A lanky black-haired young man leaned against the wall around U.A. Patches of gnarled purple skin and stiches covered much of his face and circled his eyes like racoon bags. His ears and nose were pierced in several places. He wore black jeans and a T-shirt reading "Rot in Hell Endeawhore." As a hero fan, Izuku knew that only a handful of those shirts had been produced before Endeavor's lawyers had brought the hammer of the law down on them. They were extremely valuable collector's items, albeit only sought out by antifans.

Only a friend of Tomura's would look like such an edgelord. Izuku jogged over and pasted a smile on his face. "Excuse me. I think we have a mutual friend."

The man compared Izuku's face to a picture on his phone, then grunted. "I don't have friends, especially not Decay Hands. Let's just say we have a mutual goal. I'll help you two kill All Might, then you help me murder Endeavor."

Izuku had negative interest in either of those goals, but he kept his smile glued on his face. "What's your name?"

"You can call me Dabi." He said this in deliberately mysterious way. It made him seem even more like an edgelord.

"The package?"

Dabi dropped a flash drive into Izuku's hands. "Tell your buddy I'm not running more errands for him until he gives me something in return." Then Dabi slouched off.

The threat against Endeavor was concerning, but Izuku had to assume that the number two hero could take care of himself. Izuku was barely keeping his head above the water. He couldn't afford to warn Endeavor. Besides, Izuku had nothing to say to Endeavor except that a villain wanted to kill him, aka business as usual for a top hero.

Tucking away the flash drive, Izuku turned around.

Shouto Todoroki stood next to the entrance gate.

Izuku screamed in an embarrassingly high-pitched fashion. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Shouto took a step backward. "I followed you. I was afraid you wouldn't go to the infirmary, and you didn't. You pretended to, but you snuck out the window." Standing on his tiptoes, Shouto peered over Izuku. "That man you met…I would swear I've seen him somewhere before."

Sweat soaked Izuku's collar. Probably, Shouto had seen Dabi on some list of villains or a file of his father's enemies. If Shouto realized that Izuku had been talking to a villain, then he was doomed.

Quickly, Izuku lied, "I met him at a support group for people whose bodies are harmed by their quirks." He thought up this story on the fly based on Dabi's scars and his need to reassure Shouto that he had his own naval laser quirk under control. "He's my sponsor in the group. Uh, I did think about what you said so I asked him for advice." Since Izuku couldn't get rid of Shouto by acting like a jerk, he had no choice but to switch tactics and reassure his classmate that he was getting help.

"Oh, I'm glad," Shouto said emotionlessly. Izuku had come to recognize Shouto rarely showed emotion on his face, but the slight line of frost running down his hair meant he was happy. It made Izuku touched and a little guilty that a virtual stranger cared so much about his well-being.

Yet Izuku had to keep on lying. "I'm going to talk to Mr. Aizawa about a plan for not overusing my quirk." Hopefully Shouto would accept this without talking to their teacher himself. Izuku needed to get better at hiding his nerves. Hopefully he'd start to get used to living under constant fear of his mother's death.

"I think that will be for the best," Shouto said earnestly. His trustingness made Izuku feel even guiltier. Very quickly and awkwardly, Shouto patted Izuku on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry I was so harsh earlier," Izuku said. "Can you forgive me?"

"Of course! I know a lot about the pressure that young hero students feel. The training for people with strong quirks starts young and it can be…brutal." Shouto looked down. He could have been talking about himself, but Izuku had a strong suspicion he was thinking of that unnamed person who had burned alive.

Izuku cleared his throat. "Can I ask for one more favor? My sponsor in the quirk support group has a difficult past." Thinking of his own dad, Izuku thought up a lie. "He's on the run from an abusive father. Please don't tell anyone about him."

"Oh. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Oh my god. It all makes sense now." Shouto paled. "I see. Of course, I won't say a word. I promise."

Izuku wasn't sure what Shouto saw, but he suspected it to be wrong. No matter, as long as his excuse worked. "Thank you."

The ice was radiating off Shouto strongly enough now to chill the air around him. Izuku didn't know what that meant: happiness or some other emotion? Shouto asked, "Can I meet your friend?"

"What? No, of course not! I just told you that he's keeping his identity anonymous!"

Shouto's gaze burned with intensity. "Can you tell him that I'd like to meet him? Tell him that I'd like to help him with o—his father."

"What? I don't see why he'd want help from a teenager." Izuku frowned. Was Shouto some sort of compulsive saint who had to help every single person he met? Or was there something else going on underneath the surface?

Shouto shifted from foot to foot. "Can you at least ask him? Tell him my name."

Izuku wet his lips. "Uhhhh, he's not the biggest Endeavor fan. I don't think hearing your name would help." That was the first true thing he'd said this conversation.

"I know. But please tell him anyway."

"Sure, if you insist." Izuku had no intention of doing any such thing. He would lie later and say that Dabi hadn't been interested.

"Thank you." Shouto brushed a frozen lock off his forehead. "I'm radiating ice, aren't I? Sorry. This is a lot to take in. I need to go lie down." He wandered off.

Staring after his classmate in confusion, Izuku had a bad feeling that the trouble wasn't over yet.

Playing sick gave Izuku an excuse to skip school. He didn't dare watch the video from his mother in a public place. Once home, he locked his bedroom door and window. All Might posters and figurines stared at Izuku from every space in his room. Normally, he found his merch comforting. Now it made him feel sick and guilty. Izuku removed every last bit of merch and stashed it in his mother's unused bedroom. Then he sat down and plugged the flash drive into his computer.

In the video, Inko Midoriya sat on a bed. The room had plain white walls and the window was clearly fake. There were no obvious clues about her location.

She smiled in a very strained way. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. "I hope you're okay, Izuku. Please make sure you eat and don't overuse your quirk when your stomach hurts. I'm w-well. My new room is nice. Tomura has been very kind to me. He brought me ramen for dinner. No one else comes here, so no one else bothers me. You don't have to worry about me. Please know that I always love you no matter what." She burst into tears. Waving her hand at the camera, she said, "No, don't stop recording, I have to finish. Don't worry about me and especially don't worry about your father, okay? There's no need to do anything at all to help him."

The video ended. "Mom!" Izuku cried, reaching out to touch the dark screen as if he could will her to come back. He collapsed to his desk, sobbing.

After he'd cried hard enough to flood the floor, Izuku mopped his face, blew his nose, and played the video again. He listened more carefully this time. He still had no idea where his mother was being held. Well, she probably didn't know where she was, nor could she have told him much with Tomura listening. He couldn't understand why his mother kept emphasizing his father so much. Of course Izuku didn't care that man was under threat, too. Only rescuing his mother mattered.

Izuku's very earliest memory was of his father holding his mother by her throat against the wall and screaming that the "quirkless brat" must be a bastard because he'd never have a child without a quirk. Izuku had run over. He remembered his mom shouting at him through her tears not to come. He didn't remember what had happened after that. For a long time, Izuku had blamed himself that his father had thought his mother had cheated and hurt her, because of his quirklessness. He'd never talked about it with his mother. Inko seemed to think that Izuku had forgotten all about Hisashi's abuse. Izuku was happy to maintain that kind lie.

Maybe Mom thought Izuku was the same foolish child chasing his father's approval because he thought it was the only way to keep himself and his mother safe. That would explain why she kept trying to tell him that it was okay to abandon Hisashi. But Izuku already knew that. There was only one person he needed to find and rescue.

Izuku looked up the website that Toshinori had given him. For several hours, he sorted through useless information about finding people. Eventually, he found a program dedicated to analyzing sounds.

His foot tapping on the floor, Izuku waited for the program to install, then analyze the video clip. Based on a very faint, nearly indistinguishable car horn in the background, the program believed with 85% probability that this video had been taken in a city.

Now that was useful.

Just when Izuku had nearly started to smile, a text popped up on his phone. The sender: All for One.

Izuku dropped his phone. His heart hammered a mile a minute. Irrationally, he couldn't shake the feeling that All for One had somehow seen what he'd done.

The text sent only a restaurant name and a time that evening. This was a command performance from the king of the underworld.

Izuku arrived at the restaurant half an hour early. Looking around at the pristine white tables and the chandelier overhead, he was glad that he'd worn a suit and slicked back his hair. His only suit in the world, red with black stripes, still left him feeling underdressed in a place where the men wore tuxedos and the women had long elegant gowns.

A waiter ushered Izuku to a private room in the back of the restaurant, treating him like visiting royalty. After filling Izuku's crystal glass with ice-cold water and placing down a menu with no prices, the waiter left.

Izuku was the only person sitting at a long ebony table that could have seated a dozen. The seats had round backs and rose-pink cushions. The grey walls resembled steel. Overhead, a box-shaped light glowed down on the vase of purple carnations. A napkin had been folded into a flower on each porcelain plate. The picture on the wall seemed oddly out of place in the elegance, showing a cartoon demon king character.

Legs shaking, Izuku wondered if he'd die in this room. It seemed quite possible if All for One realized what he'd done at U.S.J. But surely the villain would not commit murder at a restaurant where he was plainly a regular. Izuku took deep breaths. It would do him and his mother no good to panic.

By the time half an hour had passed, Izuku had sprayed on deodorant twice as he sweated into his suit. All for One arrived precisely on time. He wore a jet-black suit. Without his mask, hideous scars stood revealed on his face. Remembering the handsome man who'd visited when he'd been in kindergarten, Izuku wondered what had happened to cause such gruesome injuries.

All for One sat down at the head of the table. "Oh, my, that suit of yours is hideous. Red does not go with green hair. You look like a stoplight. I must not be paying you well—I'm not paying you at all, am I?"

"You can see my suit?" Izuku blurted out. He flushed red as a tomato. "I'm very sorry, Sensei. It's just, I assumed you were using an infrared vision quirk to see, but that wouldn't allow you to see color. Wait, do you have a quirk that lets you see through screens? Are you watching me through the camera in the ceiling light?"

"You noticed my quirk and the camera." All for One smiled. "Yes, that is correct. Have you noticed any other cameras?"

Shifting in his seat, Izuku squeaked, "You have one hidden in the button on your sleeve."

"Excellent," All for One purred. "Today, we're celebrating your rescue of Tomura at U.S.J., so the meal is on me."

Izuku picked up the menu and buried his nose in it to hide the look on his face. All for One didn't suspect anything. Izuku was safe. So why did he still feel uneasy? Had All for One spoken in a mocking tone or was Izuku just paranoid? Either way, he had to keep his poker face. Izuku picked miso soup and salad to avoid upsetting his stomach. The waiter took their orders, practically groveled at All for One, then left.

All for One said, "You've demonstrated an impressive versatility with your quirk. How would you use a camouflage quirk?"

"Y-you mean to fight?"

"For anything. Go wild with your analysis."

Izuku swallowed. He didn't feel comfortable helping a villain. What if his analysis was used to hurt people or help All for One handle stolen quirks? But this was about the mildest thing that All for One could have requested. At least it wasn't one of his classmates' quirks. "Uh, to start with, it would depend on how fast the colors change. Can my hypothetical quirk affect my clothing too?"

The discussion continued for fifteen minutes. After dinner arrived, All for One continued to suggest quirks for Izuku to analyze. The villain had ordered a huge rare steak. All for One interjected his own ideas too. They covered two dozen quirks ranging from strong to weak. In spite of himself, Izuku started to have a little bit of fun.

As All for One swallowed his last bite of steak and mopped his lips with his napkin, the villain asked, "What about a transferrable quirk that stockpiles energy?"

Izuku's forehead wrinkled with concentration. "By transferrable, do you mean that the quirk can be given to someone else? Like you do, Sensei?"

"Yes, like my ability, except each holder can only transfer the quirk to another person once."

Involuntarily, Izuku's foot tapped as he thought. "Are we talking about an ability that generally enhances strength, speed, and stamina?"

"That was all it did in the first generation, yes."

"But over time, it could increase exponentially. Yes, I do see." Izuku mumbled, "The quirk might eventually reach a point where no human body could handle it unless there was a way to stop the quirk from accumulating energy—is there a way?"

"Not as far as I know, no."

"Over time, this would result in unprecedented levels of strength, speed, agility, and durability. The user would be nearly invincible—" Izuku stopped abruptly. "Are we talking about All Might's quirk? All Might has a transferrable quirk?"

"Oh, very good," All for One said, but his voice did not seem entirely happy.

Izuku looked down at his empty plate. "I'm very sorry, Sensei. I shouldn't have said anything, Sensei." Under other circumstances he would have been delighted at a new piece of All Might lore, but now he could feel nothing except terror.

"No, no, you've done nothing wrong, young one. I've merely been reminded that I need to be careful what I say around you. You're a very smart one."

Izuku swallowed. He did not want to make All for One more wary of him. Even though he burned with curiosity, he regretted saying anything. In retrospect, he should have held back more during the analysis session. More interest from All for One would not help him. He just needed to stall for time until he could find out where his mother was being kept.

Yet on a subject that had given him nightmares, Izuku could not resist one more question. "If you want All Might's quirk, then does that mean you don't want him dead?"

"Such a perceptive child." Even without eyes, All for One gave off the impression of a burning gaze. Izuku felt a pressure holding him down in his seat. He was glad he had eaten lightly. All for One continued, "All Might will certainly die, but only after he has passed on his ability to someone else—preferably me. Tomura's attempt at U.S.J. was sincere, but I never expected him to succeed."

"Oh," Izuku mumbled. Perhaps this explained why All for One hadn't looked too closely into that incident's failure.

All for One continued, "Since All Might was busy on hero business the day of U.S.J. anyway, I don't particularly care that you betrayed my plans to the heroes. It might even have been for the best, since it would have been embarrassing if Tomura had debuted as a villain by asking for Eraserhead's autograph."

Izuku's fork hit the floor with a clatter. Color drained from his face. "You…know?"

"Yes, of course I know about Tomura's Eraserhead merch purchases." All for One chuckled. "That silly boy thinks I won't notice the charges on my credit card if he uses online payment services. Or did you mean your own cute little betrayal?"

Izuku trembled in his seat. This had all been one huge game, the villain toying with him. All for One was enjoying this. Izuku could do little except wait for the hammer to fall.

"I've decided to overlook your error in light of your entertainingly creative use of your quirk." Before Izuku had time to feel relieved, All for One added, "But you still need a punishment, and Tomura still needs a debut as a villain, so I've decided to kill whichever student places first at the Sports Festival. Isn't your childhood friend a favorite to win?"

Izuku froze in horror. He tried so very, very hard not to cry, but still a single tear escaped his eye and splashed against the pristine white tablecloth.

As if pretending to think of this for the first time, All for One said, "But if you won first place, then I wouldn't kill my own spy." All for One reached across the table to pat Izuku's pallid cheek. "Do your best to win! I'll give you one hint: gas laser."

OMAKE TIME!

Omake: The True Cause of All for One's Anger

All for One: At least in a non-Dad for One AU, no one is wasting my hard-earned criminal funds on All Might merchandise.

Tomura: Izuku showed me how I can custom-order even more Eraserhead merch. Sensei, I blew past the limit on my credit card, can you give me a new one?

All for One: I swear, that Midoriya boy's hidden quirk must be to spend my money on hero merchandise.

#

Omake: From Toshinori's POV

All Might: Since young Midoriya told my alter ego that he wants an autograph, of course I'll give him one. Then he'll finally like me.

Izuku: Handing me an autograph without me asking for it? All Might is kinda arrogant.

All Might: (Sobbing) WHY DOES NOTHING I DO BRING DADMIGHT TO THIS FIC?

#

Omake: Fanboy Successor

All for One: I'm sending you to U.S.J.—

Tomura: To get Eraserhead's autograph!

All for One: To kill All Might.

Tomura: That's the secondary mission objective.

All for One: Even after years of brainwashing, those damn Shimura hero fan genes linger.

#

Omake: No Escaping the Friendship

Izuku: I need to get rid of Todoroki so I'll insult his father.

Shouto: Ah, so you too loathe Endeavor! We're going to get along fabulously.

Izuku: I hate you. Leave me alone.

Shouto: This classmate's hostility reminds me so much of my big brother. I feel an instinctive connection.

Izuku: (Hisses.)

Shouto: Your raccoon-like hissing only makes me want to befriend you even more. Hatred is how we Todorokis express our love. You're never getting rid of me now!

#

Omake: A Misplaced Concern

Izuku: Now that you've noticed something off about me, are you going to tell the teachers?

Shouto: Adults have been useless to me my entire life.

Izuku: Same here, I was just checking.

Author's Note: Merry Christmas! Good wishes to all but especially the simps on my tumblr who are fighting over who can date "Walk a Mile in Another's Shoes" All for One. They need all the luck they can get. I take zero responsibility when this inevitably ends with someone dead or vaulted.

FYI, I'm currently posting a collaboration with Gfan97 called "What is Wrong with You?!–An All for One Christmas Carol." Since fanfiction dot net doesn't allow two authors on a fic, we're posting on Gfan97's fanfiction account. It's also posted jointly by us over on my Archive of Our Own account, katydid. We're excited to share this lovely Christmas fic where All for One will definitely get redeemed. Don't look at us with such suspicious eyes.