Chapter Eight:

Izuku had the perfect excuse to get out of class, except the invitation from All for One presumably meant he was expected to return to work within two days. So he dragged his bandaged body to school.

Katsuki was back, too. That was a good sign. Izuku watched his childhood friend carefully, trying to tell how injured he might be. Katsuki made it abundantly clear that he was in a temper. He kicked the door so hard he nearly broke it. He kicked his own chair into the wall, then kicked his desk, too. There was a small wince as he sat down, but otherwise he seemed in good shape. Recovery Girl could work miracles.

Sitting at his desk with his head down, Katsuki didn't look at Izuku. There had been no boisterous morning greeting or back slap. Izuku assumed that their friendship was all over. He'd expected as much when he'd made his choice. It was for the best. If Izuku later got exposed as a spy, then Katsuki would be better off with as little association with him as possible.

Kirishima, Mina, Sero, and Kaminari surrounded Katsuki, taking turns trying to jolly him out of his bad mood. Eventually, Katsuki raised his head and shouted at them. Kirishima laughed. That meant he realized it was a good sign that Katsuki felt well enough to shout. Kirishima had come to know Katsuki well.

Izuku felt a fist clench around his heart. He told himself that it was good Katsuki had more friends now, so he wouldn't be alone. Izuku had deliberately avoided making any friends so there was no sense in feeling lonely now.

The class cheered as Aizawa announced they would be coming up with hero names. Izuku couldn't bring himself to even pretend to come up with a name. He didn't expect that he'd still be a hero by the time he left U.A. There was no point to it. Izuku didn't deserve a hero name anyway.

Katsuki didn't come up with a name, either. Kirishima suggested "Explodoman." Kaminari suggested, "Sparky Sparky Boom." Katsuki snarled at both of them, then mumbled something about coming up with a name later.

Izuku's heart sank to the floor. An angry Katsuki was expected. His default state was annoyance at the world for existing. But if Katsuki couldn't even come up with absurdly violent hero names, then he must be truly miserable. Izuku's fingers twitched on his pencil. He wanted to go over and comfort his childhood friend, as he'd jollied Katsuki out of a million bad moods in their childhood. But surely Izuku was the last person that Katsuki wanted to talk to. The only words that should leave Izuku's mouth would be an apology, but an apology would be meaningless without some kind of explanation for his behavior and a promise not to do it again. Izuku could deliver neither. Who knew what All for One might order him to do in the future? It would be better if Katsuki hated Izuku, so that All for One couldn't order Izuku to lure Katsuki into a trap. Katsuki should remain the victim in the eyes of the class and the public so Izuku couldn't drag his friend down with him when the day came that he was publicly revealed to be a villain.

Even if someday Izuku could tell the full truth, he had his doubts that Katsuki would ever forgive him. When someone as proud as Kacchan handed you his greatest vulnerability, and then you punched him right in his weak spot, there was no coming back from that. Maybe someday they could be cordial with each other, but Izuku doubted if Katsuki would ever want to be his friend again.

Shouto picked his first name as his hero name. Izuku hoped he hadn't traumatized another classmate so much that he couldn't think up any good names. In Shouto's case, it was harder to tell if this was normal.

By the time Tenya also picked his first name as a hero name, Aizawa was plainly starting to get discouraged. He revealed the draft picks. Shouto had first place and Katsuki second. Izuku did not have a single offer.

Izuku felt the eyes of his classmates on him, not sure if they were sympathetic or scornful. He had expected this already. He'd even taken a taxi to school instead of public transit to avoid reporters.

As the students filed out of the classroom, Aoyama tapped Izuku on the shoulder.

Izuku jumped a foot in the air.

Aoyama smiled. "Sorry for startling you, mon ami. I'm trying to decide if I should call myself the Quirkless Hero, or if that is too much. I want to be a symbol but I don't want it to be the only thing that people know about me. Maybe the All-Purpose Hero?"

Someone still wanted to associate with him. Izuku's eyes watered. Kindness came so unexpected that he did not know how to handle it.

Hitoshi stood by Aoyama's other side. "I've been thinking either Mindjack or Control Freak. Intimidating or funny. What do you think?"

Izuku could no longer help it. He burst into tears. He tried to control them as quickly as possible, because he didn't want Kacchan to think he was playing the victim.

Aoyama offered a handkerchief. Hitoshi said, "My quirk forces me to act like an ass if I want to win. I totally thought I'd be the most hated person at the Sports Festival, but you beat me. I'm almost a little disappointed. Save some boos for me next time."

"Arrête ça." Aoyama elbowed Hitoshi.

Izuku rubbed his eyes. "Nah, that was funny. You can use dark humor around me."

Hitoshi smiled. "People with villainous quirks have to stick together. Let's be friends."

Izuku blew his nose, then let them brainstorm hero names for him that he knew he'd never use.

Izuku had started meeting Toshinori Yagi outside for lunch every day. They'd never formally arranged it, it had just happened. A part of Izuku wanted to skip today in case it turned out Toshinori hated him now like the general public. If not for his conversation with Aoyama and Hitoshi, he probably would have eaten in the bathroom toilet stall. But they'd given him enough courage to poke his head out and see if Toshinori was there.

Toshinori was whispering frantically into his phone. "Listen, this kid took first place in the Sports Festival yet he didn't get a single internship offer in the draft. It's completely unfair. Please, I know you'd love him if you meet him. If there's anyone who can handle your training, then it's young Midoriya! Oh, thank you. You won't regret it."

Izuku jumped. Toshinori was talking about him? In Izuku's surprise, he backed into the door. It creaked.

Toshinori looked up. A newspaper slipped from his fingers. The headline stared down at Izuku: Boy Wins Sports Festival While Radiation Poisoning the Audience. Is U.A. Raising Future Heroes or Villains?

Paling, Toshinori snatched up the paper. "I didn't mean for you to see that. It's all nonsense, of course. Principal Nezu and All Might have assembled a team of lawyers to ensure the bogus lawsuit never makes it to court. We won't let you get dragged into a courtroom—by 'we' I mean all of U.A., of course. We're all completely behind you."

Izuku doubted that was true of everyone in U.A. but he was grateful that Toshinori still believed in him. "I'm fine. I expected this." Izuku figured that All for One had suggested Carbon Monoxide Laser knowing how the public would recoil from anything that stank of poison or radiation. If Izuku had become popular instead, then All for One might have been a sore loser and changed up the deal. "I deserve this," he said, thinking less about the stupid lies in the newspaper and more about what he'd done to Katsuki, Tenya, and Shouto.

"Of course you don't deserve to be lied about and blamed for something you didn't do!" Toshinori straightened to his full, considerable height. "The blabber about radiation-poisoning the audience is a pack of lies. In the finals, you had an accident due to your belt breaking, but that wasn't your fault. We at U.A. are responsible for inadequately protecting you and young Bakugo. I—All Might—should have been present for the match. Speaking of which. All Might issued a statement to the media about quirk discrimination and bullying. The video clip is on all major news sites."

"Really? That's cool to know. Thanks." Izuku's eyes were watering again.

Toshinori waved at the bench. "Please, sit down. Here, I made you a bento for your stomach."

Izuku stared blankly at the box wrapped in checkered cloth. "My stomach?"

"You said that you were having trouble eating because you missed your mother's home cooking." Toshinori twisted his fingers together. "I haven't made many lunches, but I did my best. You've been losing weight, it's a little worrying."

Crap, Izuku had forgotten his own cover story. He hastily took the box. "You're too generous. Thank you." Izuku took a bite of sweet omelet. It was a little salty. But the sushi tasted great. "By the way, I've been meaning to tell you—remember that website you sent me for finding missing people? It was very useful. I'm truly grateful."

"I'm glad." Toshinori watched anxiously as Izuku ate. Each bite seemed to reassure him. "How did you use it?"

Izuku flinched and regretted ever bringing up the subject. "Mostly I learned that finding people is complicated, and I should let the professionals handle my deadbeat dad and his side chick."

"Oh," Toshinori said. "If you want help on that—"

"I'm fine!"

"Or if you want to talk about the Sports Festival—"

Izuku very much did not. He groped for any possible different subject. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Shouto Todoroki. I'm worried about him because he doesn't use his fire half."

Toshinori's fingers tapping on his knee stilled. His forehead wrinkled. "Yes, I did notice that as well."

"I don't want to go into any details without his permission, but he has some family trauma. Also I noticed that he's been hurting himself freezing his body. During our match, I wanted to convince him to use his fire side, but I…" Izuku realized he was crying. He buried his face in his arm to hide it. Picking this subject had been a big mistake.

His eyes gentle, Toshinori offered a tissue. "So that's what was going on during your match with young Todoroki? I knew you must have had a reason for doing that."

Izuku could tell that Toshinori had misunderstood something, but he was crying too hard to correct it.

Toshinori held out his arms. Izuku leaned into the hug. He hadn't gotten a hug since his mother had been kidnapped. It felt nice. Gradually, his tears subsided.

Patting his back, Toshinori said, "I don't fully understand young Todoroki's circumstances, but I think you two are a bit similar. You both have quirks that hurt your bodies. Have you considered approaching him from that angle? It can be very hard for a hero, or even a hero student, to accept help. If you showed a bit of vulnerability to young Todoroki first, then he would be more likely to listen to you about his own quirk. Let him think that he's helping you, and that will guide him to help himself."

That was actually a good idea. Izuku had only been trying to distract Toshinori—he hadn't expected sensible advice. Although Shouto probably hated Izuku now so he'd never get a chance to put it into practice. Izuku mopped his face, then blew his nose.

Toshinori said, "Young Todoroki's teachers bear the responsibility for guiding his growth. They'll talk to him, too."

"They will?" Izuku asked skeptically. "No one has so far. I'm not even entirely sure if the teachers have noticed he's only using half his quirk."

Toshinori's smile didn't falter. "A teacher will soon! I promise!"

"I'll try too," Izuku said. Assuming Shouto didn't attack him on sight.

Toshinori said, "A hero is someone who helps people even when they aren't asked. I'm proud of you, my boy."

Izuku had never, ever expected anyone to be proud of him after that nightmare of a Sports Festival. His chest heaved. He sobbed.

"Oh dear, did I upset you?" Toshinori asked.

Izuku sniffled. "You made me feel better."

"I'm glad." Toshinori smiled again, a softer and less broad smile. "I had good news for you. I know a hero named Gran Torino who agreed to offer you an internship. He used to be a teacher at U.A. He's a wonderful teacher—uh, he's scary but—uh, he's very strict and I promise you'll learn a lot from him."

Izuku had no enthusiasm for internships, but he knew he had to apply for one. Honestly, this was a lucky break. He doubted anywhere else would accept him. "Thank you, seriously. This means a lot to me."

Toshinori held out his phone. "May I have your number?" After they swapped contacts, Izuku immediately received a text. Toshinori said, "I sent you Gran Torino's contact information. Please take your time to research him and decide if you'd like to accept the internship." It was polite of Toshinori to pretend that Izuku had a choice.

Izuku left his meeting with Toshinori with his first full belly in nearly a week. He finally felt something resembling human.

Of course, that was when Shouto Todoroki grabbed him by the collar and yanked him behind a tree.

Shouto's heterochromatic eyes blazed. The air around him felt colder, not just metaphorically. Even when he'd talked about his father's abuse, his face had always remained composed, but now his lips peeled back in a snarl.

Izuku raised his hands. "You can hit me a few times if you want. I deserve it."

Instead, Shouto shouted, "Who made you do it?"

"Who…?" Izuku blinked, confused and still bracing himself for an icicle to the face.

Shouto bared his teeth. "I know the eyes of someone who is being forced to fight. Do you know how many times my father made me get to my feet after I'd collapsed during the training?"

"Whoa, I'm so sorry that happened to you."

"We're not talking about my problems right now! We're talking about you!" Shouto scowled. "Your words back then were a lie, but your eyes asking for help were real. Who's forcing you?"

Izuku was sincerely touched by Shouto's compassion, impressed by his intelligence, and terrified of getting caught as a spy. Izuku had to think fast. Last time with Toshinori, Izuku had nearly forgotten his own lies. It would be better if he could keep his stories as similar as possible. He should stick with the deadbeat dad. Swallowing, Izuku looked down. "My father threatened to withdraw financial support for our family if I didn't win in the Sports Festival. He's a deadbeat living in America so we have very limited means to legally chase after him in a foreign country."

Shouto glared. "You nearly died in the final match! That can't be the only reason!"

Tears came easily to Izuku's eyes. "My mother is sick. We need the money." Dammit, he'd told Katsuki that his father was sick. Also the Bakugo family knew that Inko had been supporting them both with her secretary job because her husband hadn't sent money in years. If his classmates compared stories, Izuku would be finished. Oh, well, probably Shouto would just think that Izuku was a compulsive liar and give up on him. Izuku had been trying to push away potential new friends. He felt sick at the idea of Shouto hating him but these days everything made him sick.

Shouto's face softened. "I understand wanting to protect your mom. I can understand that very well. I forgive you, and I'm going to help you. First off, you need to become financially independent as fast as possible. I agreed to intern at Endeavor's agency under the condition that he takes you, too."

Izuku felt a lump in his throat. The depth of the sacrifice overwhelmed him. He knew how much his classmate hated his father. "You didn't have to do that."

"I already did." Shouto jabbed his finger. "You're clearly in a risky state and I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Izuku opened his mouth, about to mention that he had another internship offer. Frankly, he'd rather intern with Toshinori's friend Gran Torino than deal with Shouto keeping an eye on him 24/7 out of a misguided belief that he could be a danger to himself. That would be a real threat to his parttime job as a spy.

But then Shouto continued, "Also, you can't escape from me until you keep your promise and let me meet my big brother."

"Whoa!" Izuku raised his hands. "I never promised that. Well, I said I would let you meet him if you threw our fight, but you refused."

Shouto crossed his arms. "From a certain point of view, I did throw that fight. You tricked me into doing it, but objectively speaking, I did not fight with all my capabilities. Therefore, you owe me."

There was no good argument against that. Since Shouto had been so kind to him, Izuku decided to risk a little honesty. Or at least, as close to honest and vulnerable as he dared get in his current position. "Todoroki, my mentor isn't your brother. I'm party to certain information about his background that I was told in confidence and I can't reveal to you. This makes me pretty sure that you've got the wrong person. I don't want to introduce you two because I don't want to get your hopes up for nothing. I'm sorry."

Seriously, Shouto said. "You're a very kind person, Midoriya. You've been holding back because you're afraid I'll be disappointed. But that's definitely my big brother. I've been researching him online, and I learned he's going by the name Dabi."

"Researching him?" Izuku paled. "Exactly what have you found out?"

Shouto pulled up a spreadsheet on his phone. "I snapped a picture of Touya when he visited U.A., then tracked him down by searching for the image. Not surprisingly, he's part of a Goth group online. He also has a blog giving people tips on hair dye. See? I told you he was dying his hair. He's involved in amateur theatre and uses Dabi as his stage name. Touya is a member of every Endeavor hate group on the internet and founded half of them. Just look at these posts." Shouto scrolled through a list of increasingly creative death threats directed at Endeavor. "Only a Todoroki hates Endeavor so much. Our dad has plenty of antifans, but you have to live with him to hate him on such a deep personal level. I'll always know my big brother by our shared patricidal impulses." Shouto beamed.

Izuku's stomach uttered a panicked rumble. This was bad, very bad. Shouto already had Dabi's name. If Shouto kept researching Dabi, then he might find out about the villain part. Then many awkward questions would arise, such as why Izuku had identified a villain as a mentor figure. It would be sickeningly ironic if Izuku got caught as a spy for such a ridiculous reason since Dabi wasn't actually any kind of mentor to him.

In his panic, Izuku's mouth took over from his brain. "I guess I could arrange for you to meet with Dabi. But you have to promise to stop researching him. He values his privacy very highly. Surely you don't want to upset him before even meeting him?"

Shouto's earnest face cracked with the biggest smile. "Thank you so much! Here, I'll text you the details about the internship with Endeavor. No need to give me your phone number, I already found it online."

Izuku was starting to wish that he could put Shouto's amazing research skills to use finding his mother.

The reporters caught up to Izuku outside U.A. They'd clearly been lying in wait at the school entrance. Blocking his path to the taxi, they thrust microphones in his face and shouted. "Do you have anything to say about the lawsuit?"

"Just one statement, please!"

"Is it true that you were trying to kill Bakugo in the finals?"

"Your former middle school teacher says that you used to keep a hit list of how to murder each student in your class using their quirks. He says he always had you pegged as a future serial killer. Would you like to respond?"

Keeping his head down, Izuku pushed through the crowd. He figured he might as well treat all this hatred as practice for when he inevitably got exposed as a spy. He knew he deserved this, even if not for the reason they all thought. After all, he was spying for a villain.

"Shut up!" a new voice screamed. Tenya Iida stood in the gateway with his hands on his hips. He bellowed, "My big brother was paralyzed permanently by a serial killer! That's what a villain looks like! Midoriya just won a sports competition! He's no villain. He didn't even break any rules during his matches. You media vultures should be ashamed of yourselves, treating the Hero Killer like a celebrity when he's hurting and murdering real people."

The media flocked around Tenya, giving Izuku time to escape into his taxi. He mouthed, "Thank you," at Tenya, but he didn't think the other boy saw it.

The guilt ate at Izuku even worse. He had no right to Tenya's kindness after what he'd done during their match.

When Izuku returned home, for a moment he believed he'd arrived at the wrong address. Graffiti saying "VILLAIN" and "RADIOACTIVE" had been sprayed across the wall. Someone had tossed a rock through the window. It had embedded in the coffee table, knocking off the family picture with his mother. Cracked glass splintered the smile of a three-year-old Izuku in an All Might onesie making a peace sign at the camera.

Izuku had a fleeting thought about calling the police. But he didn't want to answer inconvenient questions about where his mother might be. Someone like him couldn't afford to attract police attention. Perhaps he ought to at least tell his teachers, but he was too bruised and tired.

In the end, Izuku boarded up the broken window with duct tape and went to sleep with a draft creeping in.

Izuku showed up at the same restaurant wearing the new suit All for One had given him. He'd spent half an hour online figuring out how to fasten the dark green bowtie. It made him feel like a kiss-up, but realistically he had no choice but to do whatever All for One wanted of him.

This time, All for One was already seated at the table. Izuku galloped over. "Am I late? I'm sorry. There were reporters outside my house."

"Nonsense, you're precisely on-time," All for One said indulgently. "I'm early. I took the liberty of ordering the filet mignon for us tonight. You can't have a mere salad for your celebration dinner. I was impressed by your creative use of your quirk during the Sports Festival. The flash bombs were a clever way to use a small amount of power for the maximum effect."

Izuku sat down. "T-thank you, Sensei." It felt a bit nice to hear that after how everyone else had trashed his performance. But Izuku knew full well he was being manipulated, so he pushed away the feeling.

All for One said, "That speech you gave the Bakugo boy in the final match was quite delightful. You put the knife straight into his insecurities."

"You heard that?" Izuku flinched. Kacchan wouldn't want anyone else to hear those words.

"I used a quirk. But you weren't quite ruthless enough in the end. If you'd let him take the full power of your gas after he foolishly broke your belt, you could have killed him before he had time to harm you. You avoided hurting him at your own expense."

"If I'd killed someone, then I'd be expelled from U.A. and I'd no longer be useful to you." Izuku assumed this reason would be more effective with a villain than an ethical argument.

All for One arched an eyebrow. "Oh? I thought you held back because you were friends."

Izuku looked at his empty plate. He didn't want to attract a supervillain's attention to Katsuki. But he had no doubt the villain already knew about their connection and was mocking him. "We're not friends any longer." So you have no need to go near Kacchan.

All for One smiled. "Be honest: you secretly enjoyed taking that boy down a peg or two. I know his type: loud, arrogant, coddled by every adult for having the right quirk. Didn't you find him annoying? Are you sure you didn't mean it, deep down?"

"Sure. You're right," Izuku said weakly. He'd agree to anything to get through this dinner. He hoped there wasn't any truth in those words but he feared a bit of his secret ugliness had been exposed.

All for One said, "These days, everyone wants to become a hero because it's the only way to use their quirks. All quirks crave to be used. In exchange for a tiny bit of freedom for themselves, heroes enforce the rules on everyone else. But villains are the only people truly free in this pathetic, outdated, barely functional society."

As Izuku expected, All for One wanted to convert him into a villain. This was better than his mother dying because he was useless as a spy. Izuku was more than willing to pretend to be interested, but he figured it would be transparently obvious if he agreed right away. "I don't feel free right now. You're not even paying me. What do they call employees who don't get paid? Slaves."

All for One chuckled. "Fair point. Would you like a salary? I could easily transfer money into your bank account under the guise of child support payments coming from abroad. Or I could offer you a more unique payment, something only a villain could give you."

Izuku tensed. He had a bad feeling about this. "I like money."

"Hear me out," All for One said, as if Izuku had any choice. "I couldn't help noticing that although you're quite desperate to prevent me from hurting your mother, you don't care the slightest about your father. I researched Hisashi Midoriya." Reaching into his briefcase, he pulled out a folder of papers.

Izuku's hands clenched on the tablecloth. He rapidly considered his options. Should he pretend that his father was a viable hostage in hopes of taking pressure off his mother? But the lie would not be convincing. Even a cursory look at the Midoriya family would reveal that Hisashi had been AWOL for a long time.

All for One placed a photocopy of a hotel receipt on the table. "A man in his late thirties knocked your mother up when she was sixteen, the exact age of consent in Musutafu. Judging from the receipts on his credit card, he took her to a love hotel on her sixteenth birthday. He did not purchase any condoms. There's a good chance it was deliberate. He wanted her trapped."

"What?" Izuku's nails dug straight through the cloth into the table. He'd known that his parents had an age gap—it was obvious looking at them. But he hadn't realized just how young his mother had been. Had she ever told him her age? She had not. Now he wondered if she'd left the number off her birthday cakes deliberately. As a child, he'd never thought too hard about the math. At age fifteen, he saw the messed-up situation with clear eyes.

All for One spoke clinically. "Pregnancy does terrible things to a teenager's body. She had a cesarean section because her pelvis wasn't wide enough to deliver a baby. The uterine scarring was so bad that the doctors said she would never be able to give birth vaginally again. Afterward she developed a urinary tract infection. That's also common among children who give birth too young. She still has chronic pain from the scar." He pushed the medical records across the table.

Izuku looked away. This was obscene, a villain going through his mother's private medical information. Izuku didn't have the right to know either if she didn't want him to, but he could not unhear. "How did you obtain this information?"

"Plenty of people owe me favors." All for One shrugged. "The records of your mother's early married life speak for themselves. No bank account. No credit card in her name. No hobbies or clubs. Except for grocery shopping, she barely left the house until her next hospital visit. That one occurred when you were four, shortly after your quirkless diagnosis." More papers hit the table.

Izuku closed his eyes. He did not want to see these new hospital records. He already knew what had happened. His earliest memory was watching his father choke his mother.

All for One said, "She had three broken ribs, a broken nose, and her arm broken in two places. Her heart had to be restarted twice during the ambulance ride to the hospital. I suspect Hisashi realized he'd gone further than he could get away with, because he fled the country while your mother was flatlining."

Izuku's eyes snapped open. He did not remember that part. But the photographic evidence laid out before him was unmistakable. Somehow, All for One had obtained pictures of a younger Inko Midoriya in a hospital bed. Her face had been beaten so badly it was nearly unrecognizable. Bruising extended from her neck to under her shirt.

Why didn't Izuku remember this? He remembered watching his mother gurgle with his father's hands around her throat. Then nothing. After that was a blank, yawning void. When he tried to remember, he could hear screaming. Maybe his own, maybe his mother's.

Izuku remembered that he'd stayed with the Bakugos for a while because his father had gone to America. Back then, he'd been afraid that his mother had abandoned him too. That time must have been when she'd been in the hospital. Had her arm been in a cast when she'd returned for him? It must have. He'd been only four years old, so there were huge gaps in his memory. He vaguely recalled helping her out a lot around the house, trying to prove himself useful enough to ensure she stayed.

Izuku didn't want to look at the photographs, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. His father had done this to his mother because he'd been quirkless. Even if intellectually he knew this wasn't his fault, he also knew that he'd screwed up his mother's life by existing.

"It's not your fault," All for One said.

In disbelief, Izuku's head shot up. All for One had an uncharacteristically sympathetic expression. "I felt much closer to you after reading about your past. I had a poor excuse for a father, too. He reacted badly to my quirk, just like your father reacted badly to your quirklessness. Times change, but garbage fathers don't."

Izuku couldn't breathe. A flash of memory came to him from the darkness. The weight of his mother's body pressed on top of him, covering him as his father kicked her in the ribs. Something dark and feral rose up inside Izuku, a seething murderous fury. He'd stuffed that memory and that hatred deep down a dark hole because otherwise he would not be able to live with it.

All for One reached across the table and tucked the papers away. "Because of our shared connection, I'm going to make a very special offer to you. I'm going to give you something that the heroes never could: revenge. Shall I kill your father?"

Izuku's breathing came out short and rapid. In that moment, he could not speak.

All for One said, "You've been told all your life that you should want justice, not revenge. But there is no possible justice for you here. The statute of limitations has passed on Hisashi Midoriya's domestic abuse. If you told the heroes, then they'd be very sad and sympathetic, and they'd try to help you recover from your trauma. But there is nothing anyone can legally do to punish the man who nearly murdered your mother. He's going to live a long, happy, upper-middle class life of comfort and prosperity. Unless you punish him yourself."

Head spinning, Izuku's hands clenched on the tablecloth.

All for One continued, "I can kill him however you'd like: quickly or slow. I can even arrange for you to do it yourself if you'd prefer. From personal experience, I highly recommend that option. There's nothing like the thrill of becoming a self-made orphan."

The Sports Festival had been the stick, and here was the carrot. Izuku knew that All for One was making this offer in order to corrupt him into a villain. Then shouldn't Izuku accept the offer? Let the villain think that he'd won? Izuku would still work to free his mother and escape, of course, but that would be far easier if All for One let his guard down. Izuku had certain things he'd been unwilling to throw away during his reluctant service as a spy. He'd stopped the U.S.J. incident so no one innocent would suffer. He couldn't have let Kacchan die. But he was willing to throw away his father. That would be a sacrifice that he could live with. If Izuku refused, then All for One would know he wasn't committed as a spy. Really, he had no choice.

"You're smiling," All for One observed.

Izuku's hands rose to touch his lips. He was, indeed, smiling. He might have been able to convince himself that the expression was part of an act, except he hadn't even noticed it.

All for One sat with his hands folded on the table and a very smug, knowing smirk. The expression dumped a bucket of ice water over Izuku's musings. No matter what All for One claimed, he was no vigilante dispensing extralegal justice. A man like All for One always had several motives.

If Izuku became culpable in a murder, then he'd never be able to go to the heroes for help. Right now, Izuku was still a victim. His mother had been taken hostage. He was a minor. He hadn't hurt anyone—he'd even prevented U.S.J. from turning into a massacre. The authorities would be unlikely to send him to jail. But Izuku would not be able to justify taking a hit out on his father as something he'd been blackmailed into doing. This was All for One's favorite restaurant. He definitely had a camera recording them right now. If All for One obtained a video of Izuku requesting his father's death as a reward, then the villain would have the perfect blackmail material to keep Izuku in his service forever. Once Izuku crossed that line, there would be no turning back—exactly as All for One intended.

Izuku clamped down tightly on the screaming rising up from his memory hole, and said, "Thank you, but I prefer money. I have my college tuition to think of. Revenge doesn't pay the bills."

All for One did not look surprised or displeased. His face was neutral. He only said, "You can have both. I'll set up your new college fund immediately. The offer to kill your sperm donor will remain open, whenever you're ready."

The villain sounded entirely too confident that Izuku would one day be ready. Izuku squirmed in his seat. "I'm just a kid. I couldn't kill anyone." He'd rather All for One believe he had a weak stomach than that he'd seen the trap.

All for One titled his head. Somehow, even without eyes, he made Izuku feel studied. "By my assessment, you're someone who does whatever needs to be done. At the Sports Festival, you didn't hesitate to use any means to win."

Izuku growled, "You threatened to kill someone. I had no choice."

With pitiless perceptiveness, All for One said, "A proper hero would have reported my threat to the authorities and trusted in them. You think you want to become a hero because society has taught you that is the pinnacle of achievement. But you're willing to break any rules to protect what is most important to you. That's what we villains do—rewrite the world to suit ourselves."

Izuku looked down. "You make heroes sound like braindead puppets unable to do anything except mindlessly follow the rules."

"That's exactly what heroes are. The more time you spend with heroes, the more they'll disappoint you. After you've been thoroughly disillusioned, my side will welcome you."

That won't happen, Izuku thought. His hands clenched on his lap.

"Now, onto business." All for One waved a hand over Izuku's bag. "Ah, how interesting! I assumed you wouldn't have any internships, but it looks like you have offers from one Gran Torino and the number two hero's agency."

Izuku was startled by the sudden change of subject and All for One's knowledge. Had the villain just read information off of Izuku's phone? Thank goodness that Tomura had given Izuku the video of his mother on a flash drive. No wonder Tomura had warned Izuku to delete their texts. All for One didn't even need to touch the phone to see them.

Swallowing, Izuku said, "They were pity offers. My teachers arranged them." He did not want to draw attention to Toshinori or Shouto.

All for One said, "Take the offer from Endeavor's agency. That will be more useful to me. I have a couple ways I could use you there. I'll deliver you instructions in a couple days."

Gears in his mind turning, Izuku nodded. This could be a lot worse. There were moral lines that Izuku still wouldn't be willing to cross, but he was absolutely willing to mess with Endeavor. After Shouto's story of his childhood, Izuku believed that Endeavor deserved a whole lot of suffering. He hardly even needed to be threatened into providing some karma. If All for One wanted to kill Endeavor, that would get much more dicey. Izuku would have to decide what to do on a case by case basis as he stumbled through the hellscape that his life had become.

The waiter arrived, carrying in two steaks medium-rare and juicy with blood. Somehow, Izuku got through the rest of the meal and even managed to analyze a few more quirks.

As he traveled home, Izuku wondered if All for One was right about Izuku not being qualified as a hero. Because, if there had been a way Izuku could have arranged for his father's death without All for One blackmailing him about it afterward…

No. Izuku couldn't have done that. He was a good boy. A nice boy. A helpful boy. He wanted to become a hero. Heroes didn't do things like that.

As soon as Izuku arrived home, he received half a dozen texts in rapid order. His heart sank. He feared it was more orders from All for One. Instead, the texts came from an unknown number.

Hey, this is Dabi.

Tomura gave me your number.

He also said that you're interning with Endeavor.

You owe me one for playing delivery boy.

I want you to help me look for dirt on Endeavor.

Maybe there will be a good chance to mess with the bastard.

Izuku nearly threw his phone across his room. Right now, he did not need yet another person making demands of him. Then Izuku realized this was a much-needed chance to make Dabi owe him a favor, at the cheap price of doing what All for One had already ordered him to do.

Izuku texted back, I'll do it if you help me with a problem. One of my classmates saw you talk to me at school and got suspicious. I need you to pretend to be my mentor at a quirk support group. If you can act like a normal civilian for one meal, then I'll make sure that Endeavor suffers.

If Izuku could arrange for Dabi to meet Shouto, then surely Shouto would realize that Dabi wasn't his long-lost brother. The voice, face, and mannerisms would be obviously different up close. It was a bit risky, but it was the only way to lay that problem to rest.

Dabi quickly replied, Sure, if you're paying. If I have to tolerate a hero brat then I want to eat soba.

Belatedly, Izuku realized that an antifan might not want to meet Endeavor's son. Should he warn Dabi? But what if Dabi turned down the deal? Izuku texted, He's a hero student, but he hates Endeavor.

You should have said that sooner! I'm always happy to meet a fellow Endeavor antifan.

Maybe Izuku could persuade Shouto to go wearing a disguise.

With a sigh, Izuku flopped face down on his bed. The true horror of his present circumstances had finally started to dawn on him. He would need to juggle All for One's orders, Dabi's revenge, and Shouto's watchful eye. This was going to be the worst internship ever. Izuku really wished he could have gone with Gran Torino.

OMAKE TIME!

Omake: Two Identities, Three Jobs, Endless Work

Toshinori: So, uh, how has All Might's teaching been lately? After what you said on TV, he's been staying up late at night researching teaching methods and lesson plans. Or so I've heard.

Izuku: It's been great! His lessons have gotten more organized and focused on helping us develop our quirks.

Toshinori: What a relief.

Izuku: There was an article in the paper yesterday criticizing All Might for not appearing in public as often. Don't those people understand that he took on a second teaching job? Of course he'd have to scale back his regular work. The minor crimes can be handled by other heroes. It's like people don't realize that All Might needs to sleep.

Toshinori: Yes, exactly, I'm so glad that someone finally agrees.

Izuku: By the way, the toilet on the second floor is broken, can you take care of that after lunch? Thank you, I appreciate all your hard janitorial work!

Toshinori: (Coughs up blood.)

#

Omake: If Izuku Knew that He Got an All Might Bento

Izuku: Nooooooo! How could I have eaten this treasure instead of preserving it? I could have at least saved the box!

#

Omake: Shouto Researches Anime Tropes

Shouto: I've figured out the reasons behind your actions at the Sports Festival.

Izuku: Oh no!

Shouto: You're a tsundere! Sero told me so. It explains so much.

Izuku: Argh, I'm a spy!

Shouto: Not a very good one if you just admitted it.

#

Omake: All for One Fails to Notice a Clue

All for One: Gran Torino…do I know a hero by that name? Probably some insignificant loser. I delete the names of most heroes from my head within seconds of meeting them. If he was connected to someone important then I'm sure I'd remember it.

#

Omake: The Dad Competition

Hisashi: I taught my son how to be strong and independent by abandoning him.

All for One: I'm clearly the best father figure. I incentivized Izuku to win the Sports Festival and helped him reach his full potential.

All Might: Both of you suck, I'm adopting this child.