Chapter Nine:

Izuku met Toshinori at lunch the next day to turn down the internship with Gran Torino in person. Last night, Izuku had also written Gran Torino a very polite thank you note, because his mother had raised him to have manners.

"I completely understand," Toshinori said, handing over a new bento. "If you got an offer from the number two hero, then of course that would be better for your career." It went politely unsaid that Toshinori had only dug up his old contacts because he'd believed Izuku would get no offers. "How kind of Endeavor!"

"I think Endeavor only offered because his son blackmailed him into it," Izuku said, digging into the lunch. Toshinori had gotten better at making omelets. This one was perfectly cooked and fluffy.

"Even so, it's a chance to obtain positive media attention," Toshinori said optimistically. "As the winner of the Sports Festival, you deserve a prestigious internship with the number two hero. Besides, you might be better off without Gran Torino's training from hell." He shuddered.

Izuku would have happily taken hellish training compared to getting caught between All for One and Dabi's plans for the number two hero. "I would have taken the internship with your old friend, if not for the…career considerations."

Toshinori nodded. "Endeavor has always had a bit of an antihero image and several media clashes, so I think he has the know-how to help you. Ah, speaking of which, I got you a gift."

"You didn't have to—" Izuku began, but Toshinori was already getting out the box and opening it.

The box contained a dark green jumpsuit with white gloves. "I noticed you didn't have a hero costume, and I thought it might be because of your family's money problems. It comes with a new respirator." Toshinori next removed a new belt, colored green. A series of buttons ran around the hole for the naval laser. Toshinori said, "This belt is much studier and harder to break." He tapped it. "If you press here, then it will deploy air jets to knock away anyone trying to take off or break your belt. This button here prevents any gas from escaping, so you can use it as a failsafe. There's another button that will enhance the power of your laser. Then if you twist this dial, it will turn into a tighter and more focused laser. Finally, David hopes that this blinking light will serve as a warning system if you start emitting gas without noticing, but he didn't have an opportunity to test it with you."

"David? As in David Shield? The man who makes All Might's gear?" Izuku gasped.

Toshinori chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "Yes, we've known each other for a long time. He rushed this order as a favor for me."

David Shield must have a wait list of hero gear years long. Izuku swallowed. "Whoa, I don't know what to say. I…uh…thank you. Thank you so much."

Toshinori patted his head. "You're welcome, my boy. Let me know how the internship goes."

When Izuku returned to class, Aizawa was shouting and pointing at the charred remains of Katsuki's desk. Katsuki had his head down. When Aizawa ordered him to the principal's office, Katsuki kicked a trash can on his way out. With an angry teacher standing over him, he was forced to pick up all the trash and put it back in.

Izuku winced. Katsuki's temper was clearly reverting back to the old days. Izuku kinda wished that Katsuki would have attacked him instead. Then he could have kept his childhood friend out of trouble by letting it slide. Instead, Katsuki treated Izuku liked he'd swapped quirks with Toru and become invisible. From someone like Katsuki, the silent treatment was the real kiss of death. It took effort for Katsuki to remain silent.

There was nothing Izuku could do to fix this. He didn't even feel like he had the right to try. It left him with an itching need to do something to help someone.

After changing out of his school uniform, Izuku met Shouto at the gates. Immediately, Shouto raised an eyebrow. "You're wearing an All Might T-shirt?"

Izuku had figured that Endeavor would be predisposed to dislike him due to having been forced to take him as an intern, so why not troll the man who'd hurt his friend? "If you think it's too much, I can change."

A small smile tugged at Shouto's lips. "Go for it. I can't wait to see the look on his face."

"In that case…" Izuku reached into his bag and pulled out an All Might baseball cap, an All Might watch, and a keychain with a tiny All Might dangling from it. "I'll add these."

Shouto laughed out loud.

As they walked, Izuku mulled over an idea in his head. He wanted to take Toshinori's advice about what to say, but he couldn't quite think of how to phrase it. Finally, Izuku blurted out, "Your body freezes whenever you use your quirk. It's hurting you."

Shouto glanced over. "I'm not like my big brother. My body is suited to my quirk."

"That's because you have a fire half to heat yourself up whenever you start to freeze. If you refuse to use that, then you can't use your ice at full strength either. Maybe there will be long-term side-effects." Izuku took a deep breath and bit the bullet. "Don't you think it's hypocritical of you to tell me to look after my health while you neglect yours?"

Shouto hunched up his shoulders. "Is that why you never listened to me?"

Izuku wet his lips. "I wasn't ready to listen to you before. But seeing you hurt yourself with your quirk made me rethink my own actions. I'm going to offer you a deal. I won't use my poison gas at an intensity that hurts my own body. In exchange, you'll use your fire to at least thaw yourself out whenever you fight."

Shouto was silent for a long moment. Long enough for Izuku to wonder if he'd screwed it up. Finally, Shouto said, "I don't know if I can start using my flames so easily. But I'm willing to try."

Izuku smiled in relief. "That's all I can ask of you. Just try." Izuku knew he might very well have to break his promise depending on the situation and All for One's threats. But he'd try too. Izuku hoped that he'd managed to help someone today.

Upon catching sight of Izuku's merchandise, Endeavor's forehead wrinkled. He boomed, "I have no interest in training you. You're only here as part of a deal with my son. I will provide you with an office, where you will remain and stay out of trouble. Shouto, I'm glad you've come to your senses. Your training will begin at once."

Shouto crossed his arms. "I'll let you show me how to use my flames." His father opened his mouth, but he continued, "But not because I have any interest in succeeding you. I'm just using you to learn everything I can. Right now, there's someone I want to help. To me, that's more important than getting revenge on you. In fact, I'm not thinking about you at all."

Izuku whistled under his breath. Shouto already had a gift for burning people!

Izuku's new office was as small as a closet. There was a desk, a computer, and no office supplies. He didn't even have a mousepad. Endeavor had not given him any work to do. Would he get in trouble if he looked up manga on work time? If he had to sit here all day doing nothing then he'd be bored to tears.

A text arrived from "Uncle" All for One. It looked like Izuku's even less desirable second boss had work for him. Izuku already wanted his boredom back.

I'm sending you a program. Upload this to your computer, and it will install a virus on Endeavor's network.

On the basis that it was worth a try, Izuku asked, What will this do?

That will be a fun surprise! Don't worry, this won't hurt anyone you care about. You might even help a poor, innocent victim. I'm going to show you how much fun being a villain can be :)

Izuku didn't trust that smiley face emoticon. But he had little choice. He told himself that All for One couldn't happen to a more deserving person than Endeavor. Izuku was all out of sympathy for abusive fathers. Endeavor could burn in hell for all Izuku cared. But if something happened to Shouto as a result of this, then Izuku would never forgive himself. However, the Sports Festival had taught him the cost of even small acts of disobedience. All for One hadn't even been able to prove Izuku had done anything to sabotage the U.S.J. attack but that hadn't stopped the punishment.

Izuku plugged his phone into the computer, then installed the virus.

Another text arrived. What now? Izuku glared at his phone.

Head to the address of this bar after you get out of work. Tomura is going to try to recruit the Hero Killer, Stain. Since Tomura would be the first to admit that soft skills are not his strong point, I want you to convince Stain to join the League of Villains. If you succeed, then I'll let you meet your mother.

Izuku's heart rate accelerated. This was an amazing opportunity. If All for One let Izuku visit his mother's prison, then he would have a chance to figure out where she was being kept. If All for One took Inko outside for the meeting, then that would be an even better opportunity for a rescue. He couldn't possibly turn this down.

Time to research every bit of information available on a serial killer.

Before heading to the bar, Izuku changed into a dark green hoodie that partly covered his face. He left the All Might merchandise at home, out of Tomura's decaying grasp. But he did bring his favorite Eraserhead keychain to show off and a video game.

Unfortunately, Izuku had not been able to learn anything useful about Stain online. His background was a mystery. His stated mission—to purge unworthy heroes so true ones would emerge—actively contradicted Tomura's goal to destroy all heroes. Izuku should have known that All for One would never offer him a chance to meet his mother if the villain seriously expected him to succeed.

Standing outside the bar, Izuku put on a hocky mask over his face. All for One had not ordered him to hide his identity, but Izuku figured it went without saying. He did not want to be exposed because a complete stranger decided not to be recruited to Tomura's team. The last thing he needed was another villain with blackmail material on him.

When Izuku pushed open the door, Tomura lay on the bar floor. Stain loomed over him with a knife at his throat.

Whelp, this recruitment mission was off to a spectacular start.

Izuku cleared his throat. "Dare I hope that you two are exchanging fighting tips during a friendly spar?"

From the ground, Tomura growled, "I'm going to kill him…"

Nervously, Kurogiri said, "We're supposed to recruit him."

Stain stood up and pointed his blade at Izuku. "This one's conviction is weak. What is your purpose?"

Izuku stared at the steel without flinching. He'd had dinner with All for One—no other villain scared him now. He spoke in a gravely, disguised voice. "I want to protect people with quirks that cause them to be discriminated against." This was technically true, although it had nothing to do with his forced service with the League of Villains. All for One would only help people with socially unacceptable quirks by taking them as his own.

Stain grunted. "The conviction in your eyes is real. Your goal has nothing to do with mine, but you pass." He swept out of the bar.

Izuku strove to think of something to stay to stop Stain and convince him. But when he saw Tomura standing up with a murderous glint in his eyes, he realized that had probably gone as well as it could have. He was needed here to defuse the situation.

Touching the hand over his face, Tomura growled, "I'll show him! I'll launch a Nomu attack across this city that will make everyone see I'm the superior villain."

"Or maybe we could try to recruit him again?" Izuku sighed and removed his mask. "Look, the boss man said that I could see my mother if we could recruit Stain. I don't want him to join the League either." Because I have no interest in making you stronger. "But I would be very grateful if you could give me one more shot at convincing Stain." Also please don't kill innocent people.

Tomura visibly calmed down. "A boring side quest to get a plot item, huh? Fine. Your mom is nice to me. I don't want to ever see that noseless face again, but I won't get in the way of your gameplay."

"Thank you." Izuku held up the video game. "Do you want to play?"

Tomura's eyes lit up. "That's an old favorite of mine. Prepare to be pulverized."

Principal Nezu had already carefully investigated every villain captured at U.S.J., but he was confident that none of them were the informant. The Nomu were a horrific blend of the DNA of different people. They appeared to be programmed and completely under the control of the League of Villain's mysterious mastermind. That left the two villains who had escaped.

Tomura Shigaraki's background was a total mystery. He seemed young and prone to emotional outbursts. For all of Nezu's talk about hating all humans, he had a soft spot for children. Perhaps it was naïve of him, but he wondered if Tomura might still be redeemable if he could be caught early. At the least, Nezu felt certain that a youth like Tomura was not the mastermind behind the League of Villains. It would have taken decades of research to develop the Nomu. Tomura was a front for someone else.

Nezu had retrieved a small amount of DNA from the shadow-faced man at U.S.J. It had come as a shock to learn that he was a Nomu based on the decay in the blood sample. After running matches on everyone in the police and heroes' database, it had finally matched with Oboro Shirakumo.

When he'd received the email, Nezu had destroyed his bedroom in an animalistic fit of rage. He hated losing students. It had happened before, but each death always aroused a primal fury. This was on an entirely new level. Someone had stolen one of his precious children and warped him into a slave.

There must be something left of Oboro instead the Nomu, because clearly Oboro was the one who had left behind the secret message and saved Class 1-A at U.S.J. It could not be a coincidence that this message had been left on Aizawa's computer. Did Oboro still have his mind? Or was he fighting for control against the Nomu programming? Had seeing his old friend Aizawa aroused a bit of rebellion?

Nezu was determined to make contact with Kurogiri and see how much of Oboro was inside there. If there was any chance, then he would save his old student. Until he had a lead on finding Kurogiri, he would wait to tell Aizawa and Yamada.

With his mouth full, Tomura complained, "And then Stain told me that I have no conviction. Why does a villain need conviction? Does he think he's a hero even though he's another killer? Aargh, just thinking about him pisses me off."

Inko reached across the table and wiped off Tomura's mouth. "Don't speak with your mouth full," she chided in the same voice she used on her son. That voice was very effective on Tomura. Inko didn't have a psychology degree but she could tell this young adult was desperately lacking in parenting.

Tomura colored slightly and wiped his mouth. "Sorry, Mrs. Midoriya."

"Please, call me Inko."

"That feels disrespectful." Tomura fiddled with his napkin. "Funny, I don't normally care about how I address people, but you remind me a bit of my mom. Though you actually look like my grandmother." Tomura scowled. "Ugh, I shouldn't compare you to my worthless grandmother. She was a hero who abandoned her family. You wouldn't do that."

Inko's ears perked up at any bit of information she might be able to use. Gently, she said, "Oh, dear, that must have hurt your mother. Did that make her more protective of you?"

"Huh? No, the hero was my paternal grandmother. My dad…protective isn't the word I'd use." Tomura barked out a harsh laugh. "They're all gone now. I don't like to talk about it. I don't remember everything that happened after my quirk manifested." He touched his face where his hands would normally be, except Inko insisted no severed body parts at the dinner table.

"I thought All for One gave you your quirk," Inko blurted out.

Tomura shook his head. "No, I used to ask Sensei for more quirks, but he said I had such a strong one that it would be risky to give me more. People's bodies can't always handle multiple quirks."

Actually, Inko had assumed Tomura had been born quirkless because she'd noticed the extra joint in his pinky toe. Her son had been diagnosed as quirkless because of that toe. There was, to her knowledge, only one person who could give quirks. But why would All for One keep his gift a secret? What had happened when Tomura had first developed his quirk? Did Tomura's biological relationship to a hero have anything to do with it?

It would be risky to ask about the deaths of Tomura's family, a volatile topic. Inko asked, "Did All for One ever mention knowing your grandmother? Is that why he took you in?"

Tomura scowled. "Sensei just found me coincidentally. He never said much about that bitch. I don't think of her as family."

"I understand. I grew up in an orphanage so I never had any family." Inko retreated from the topic with the graceful skill of someone accustomed to appeasing the moods of temperamental men. "I didn't even learn to cook until after I dropped out of high school. Does it taste good?"

The soft expression returned to Tomura's face. He took another forkful of omurice. "It's delicious, Mrs. M—uh, Inko."

"Thank you for letting me out to use your kitchen. You could use some fattening up. You're too skinny." Inko gave Tomura a once-over. "Do you only eat fast food? That's not good for you. You're still a growing boy. You need fruits and vegetables." She added more broccoli to his plate.

Tomura glared at the broccoli. "I don't want that." He started to take off a glove, clearly planning to decay it.

Inko said, "If you eat your broccoli, then you can have cookies for dessert."

"Fine." Tomura sighed, putting his glove back on.

In spite of herself, Inko had grown genuinely fond of Tomura. She'd initially looked after him to ingratiate herself, but he soaked up the positive attention so much that it made her want to mother him even more. She wondered if this feeling was real or Stockholm Syndrome. Once upon a time, she'd been very devoted to her worthless abusive husband. She feared being a super-weak person who developed attachment to abusers easily. But Tomura was so young. He'd been kind to her. Inko couldn't bring herself to believe that he was irredeemable. All for One had raised Tomura as a villain. She hoped that Tomura could be freed from this manipulation. Right or wrong, she cared about him.

If possible, Inko vowed to get the information she'd learned to her son. Izuku might be able to research into Tomura's background and find something that could turn him to their side. If only Izuku succeeded at his next mission, then All for One had promised them a visit. Inko started to plan what she would say.

Izuku shoved a yellow wig onto Shouto. "I wore this for an All Might cosplay at a hero convention. Maybe we can comb down the hair tufts."

"No, leave them." Shouto grinned. "Just imagine how angry my father would be at me wearing an All Might wig."

Izuku hung on star-shaped sunglasses. "There, now we've covered your most recognizable features. Don't use your quirk."

Shouto said, "I don't understand why I have to go in disguise when we're meeting my big brother."

Izuku's eye twitched. "I keep telling you, Dabi isn't your brother. He's an extreme Endeavor antifan. He wouldn't have agreed to come if I told him that you're Endeavor's son."

"All my father's biggest antifans are his blood relatives." Shouto smiled slightly. "Agree to disagree."

If Izuku could only get through this one awkward meal, he'd be able to lay to rest the ridiculous Dabi-as-Touya-Todoroki conspiracy theory. Then Shouto would stop investigating before he figured out Dabi was a villain. Izuku's heart hammered under his chest. Everything rested on Dabi's acting ability. During their brief meeting, Izuku hadn't gotten the impression Dabi was a particularly good actor. He hoped he was wrong.

Heaving a sigh, Izuku said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap. I'm just worried that you're going to be disappointed. My mentor, his personality is a bit…prickly."

Shouto laughed. "Don't worry, I know all about what my big brother can be like. Our family life brought out the worst in all of us. I'm proud of Touya for dedicating his life to helping youth who struggle to control their quirks. He must have worked hard to become a such a fine adult."

Scrunching up his eyes, Izuku prayed, Please let Dabi act like a semi-decent human being for one meal, please let Dabi act like a semi-decent human being for one meal…

Shouto held up an All Might jacket from the closet. "Hey, can I borrow this too? I want to show up at this meeting decked out in All Might merchandise."

That was a limited edition All Might biker jacket. Izuku hesitated. "Do you promise not to spill any food on it?"

"I promise." Shouto vibrated with eagerness.

"Do you promise not to tell Dabi your identity?"

"I won't need to tell him, so I promise."

Izuku sighed. He hated to think of how disappointed his friend would be after realizing his big brother was still dead. This even softened his heart enough to part with the All Might merchandise. "You can take the jacket, just for this one meeting."

As they walked down the street, people were definitely staring. Izuku suspected it was because the wig was so very obviously part of an All Might costume.

The soba restaurant was a tiny place with bar-only seating. Izuku had picked it in hopes that it would be fast, allowing him to get the meal over with quickly. Dabi sat on a stool reading a menu. As soon as he looked up, his face purpled. He choked. Little blue sparks danced down his hair. He could not take his eyes off Shouto.

This must be a reaction to the silly costume. If Dabi had blue fire then would that help Shouto realized they weren't related?

Shouto slid into a seat next to Dabi. "Order anything you'd like. You can even get two meals, one to take away for later. It's all on Dad's credit card, and I'm eager to spend his money."

Dabi kept making strangled noises. His eyes sought out Izuku over Shouto's head. Dabi glared.

What was his problem? He'd known that Izuku was bringing a friend. The whole point of this meal was for Dabi to convince Shouto that he wasn't a villain. Did Dabi hate All Might like Endeavor, enough to despise seeing his merchandise? Jeez, some people had terrible taste.

Shouto said, "I'll take the cold mori soba."

Dabi blurted out, "Ridiculous! Soba is best served hot!"

"Soba only tastes good cold," Shouto disagreed.

Dabi glared at Izuku some more. What was his problem?

Izuku sat down next to Shouto. He wished he'd been fast enough to get between them. "Uh, you should both order what you like. Dabi, please tell Shouto all about your work at the quirk support group."

"My control over my quirk is just fine," Dabi snarled, slamming his hands down on the countertop.

Izuku twitched. Had Dabi forgotten his cover story already? This was a disaster and the food hadn't even arrived yet.

Earnestly, Shouto said, "I'm very glad to hear that. You must have trained hard."

Dabi growled low in the back of his throat. His fingers twitched on the menu. He fixed Izuku with a death glare.

The waiter arrived to take their orders. Dabi ordered his soba hot very aggressively. Shouto ordered cold soba. Izuku felt like he'd been dragged in the middle of a battle, so he ordered the shrimp tempura to bypass the soba-heavy menu.

As the food arrived, Shouto said, "I'm going to eat as much as possible to stick Dad with the bill."

Dabi snarled, "I can eat more than you."

"Not where soba is concerned." Shouto laughed. He seemed to be having fun.

Dabi, however, seemed in deadly earnest as he poured soba down his throat, then ordered another bowl. Shouto finished his soba nearly as quickly and ordered another one. In short order, half a dozen empty bowls of soba stacked up on the table. Izuku was amazed at how fast Shouto could tuck it away. At least this eating competition was distracting Dabi from talking, fortunate since he'd forgotten his cover story. But Izuku was baffled as he watched Shouto and Dabi throw themselves into mindless competition as if magically on the same wavelength. What was going on here? Why did he feel like he'd missed some telepathic communication?

"Another bowl," Shouto and Dabi shouted together, each holding out an empty one. The waiter bustled over, a tray of soba already prepared in response to this request. Since Shouto had given his credit card in advance, the staff were happy to serve. Izuku had noticed the waiter and the chef taking bets on who would win the competition.

Shouto slurped down his soba in seconds. "See, it's easier to eat when it's cold."

"Ha! Only someone who'd failed to properly train their fire would say that!" Dabi poured piping hot soba straight down his throat. "I'm immune to damage."

"Is it because your throat has gone numb?" Shouto asked.

Dabi tossed down the empty bowl. "It's because I'm stronger than you! Next bowl!"

Long done with his own meal, Izuku gaped. Shouto was always so serious, it seemed unlike him to turn impish and teasing. But Shouto took great joy in needling Dabi. Also, did Shouto have a hidden quirk for a bottomless stomach? Because no matter how much soba he consumed, he showed no signs of running out of room for more.

Two bowls later, Shouto drank water while Dabi collapsed face-first onto the table. "Oooo," Dabi moaned, clutching his stomach.

"Done already?" Shouto clucked his tongue and took Dabi's bowl. "Fuyumi always said that my oldest brother would brag at games before he'd won." Shouto started drinking. "Hot soba isn't bad for a chance of pace."

"Give that back," Dabi moaned. He tried to lift his head from the table, then collapsed clutching his stomach. "Ow. I'm not done yet. Ow. I haven't been defeated! Not by you!"

Shouto licked his lips as he polished off the soba. "Natsuo told me that Touya was scared to go to the bathroom alone late at night because of the monster in the closet."

"Lies! Lies and slander! Ow!" Dabi moaned.

Shouto said, "Fuyumi also told me that Touya used to sing the jingles from Endeavor commercials in the shower."

Dabi gasped. "She did not!"

"But I guess only the real Touya Todoroki could confirm or deny that rumor." Shouto leaned his elbow on the counter and smirked at Dabi.

"I'll kill you!" Dabi screamed, leaping to his feet.

Izuku got up to intervene. But Dabi only took one step, then his face turned green. Clutching his stomach, he staggered toward the bathroom.

Following Dabi into the bathroom, Izuku hissed, "What are you doing? You promised me you'd act normal for one meal!"

Dabi grabbed Izuku by the collar and pushed him against the wall. "What are you doing bringing Shouto Todoroki here?"

Izuku looked sideways. "I don't know what you mean. My classmate is blond. His name is, uh…Katsuki Bakugo?" Wait, shouldn't Izuku at least pick a blonde whose face hadn't been all over the news during the Sports Festival? "Um, would you believe he's Denki Kaminari?"

Dabi bellowed, "That is my little brother wearing a fugly wig!"

"Hey, I spent a lot of money on that All Might wig. The hair tufts look great." Izuku paled. "Wait, Shouto is your brother? You're Touya Todoroki? Oh no, no, what am I going to do? You were supposed to convince Shouto that you're not his brother! But you're actually his brother! Wait, how the hell are you someone who is supposed to be dead?"

Dabi released Izuku and clutched his stomach. "Ow! No one was supposed to know! Not before I launched my big revenge scheme on Endeavor. I've planned my dance routine for years."

From the doorway, Shouto asked, "Can I help? I want revenge on our dad, too."

Dabi whirled around and shouted, "Hurting you is the revenge scheme!"

Shouto said, "That's fine by me. I've already hurt myself repeatedly to get back at Dad."

"It's no fun if you're fine with it!" Dabi shouted. "What am I supposed to do now? Ow, ow, ow."

"The two of us can come up with an even better revenge plan now that we're working together," Shouto said. "You already tried killing me when I was a baby, big brother. Now it's passé."

"Wait, he what?" Izuku demanded.

Shouto continued, "First of all, you should tell Mom, Fuyumi, and Natsuo. Now that I'm absolutely certain that you're alive, we have to let them know."

All color drained from Dabi's face. "No, not Fuyumi! She'll murder me!"

"I'm sure she'll be happy after she gets over being upset at you for hiding." Shouto texted into his phone.

"Don't tell her where I am!"

"Too late, big brother."

"Noooooooooo!" Dabi screamed, then escaped out the bathroom window with a crashing of glass. Swearing followed as he fled.

Shouto said, "Good thing I brought my dad's credit card to pay for that. Big brother might be able to run from me, but no one defies big sister Fuyumi. We'll hunt him down. Thank you for helping me find my big brother, Izuku."

"Gah," Izuku said. He needed to regroup and plan how to disentangle himself from this disaster, but his brain was too fried.

Shouto put away his phone. "That went better than most Todoroki family dinners."

Staring with bloodshot eyes, Izuku groaned, "How bad are your family dinners usually?"

Izuku stumbled home, desperate for a shower and some comic book reading to decompress. He needed a break from Todoroki family drama.

A scream made Izuku turn his head and stare into an alleyway. Stain, the Hero Killer, stood with his sword over Tenya Iida's neck. Tears streamed down Tenya's face.

Izuku's brain went white from panic.

He ought to walk away. He'd accepted a mission to recruit Stain. This was his big chance to find his mother's location. Frankly, would Izuku even be strong enough to take on the Hero Killer alone? He couldn't even save himself, much less other people.

Izuku was no hero. He was a spy and a traitor. Izuku had his hands full protecting the people he loved. He had no bandwidth left over for a mere acquaintance.

But…

Izuku remembered.

"My name is Tenya Iida. I commend you for figuring out the secret behind the exam. I hate to admit it, but I misjudged you. You were the superior candidate."

"Thank you for telling me about my brother, Midoriya."

"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."

If Izuku didn't do anything right here and now, then he really would be a villain.

Izuku shot into the alley and punched Stain in the jaw.

OMAKE TIME!

Omake: Todoroki Family Drama

Izuku: It was painful to end my friendship with Katsuki but now I won't drag down anyone else with me as I spiral deeper into forced villainy.

Shouto: Hi! I'm here to become your friend whether you like it or not! I come with massive family issues.

Izuku: As an only child, my head already hurts.

#

Omake: Dadmight's Suffering Continues

Toshinori: Aw, you're wearing an All Might T-shirt today. It looks adorable. Would you like me to gift you some rare All Might merchandise?

Izuku: Normally I would accept, but at the moment I had to store away my All Might collection because looking at it too long makes me throw up from guilt.

Toshinori: (Coughing up blood) That would have worked on any Izuku except mine!

#

Omake: Incorrect Meme Quotes

Nezu: I've connected two dots.

Izuku: You didn't connect shit.

Kurogiri: Sorry, I'm just a hardworking single father, I don't know any dog-mouse-bears.

Nezu: Maybe he's playing coy because he doesn't trust me yet, or maybe he's fighting the programming, or he might even have a split personality.

Shouto: Congratulations, you're one of us now! Here is your Conspiracy Theorist tinfoil cap.

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Omake: The Patricide Urge

Izuku: Oh, no! What if All for One and Dabi blackmail me to help them kill Endeavor? I can't do that to my dear friend Shouto!

Shouto: We're killing Endeavor? Cool, I'm ready and willing to get over my complex about my fire side so I can burn his corpse to ashes for easier disposal.