stuff

by Rabbitfaster

s

6. Chapter 8

Don't You Realize?(You're More Precious Than You Know)

"You can't be serious about this." Seven says, her dark eyes pleading as she tries to reason with him. "He's All For One."

Nine is perched on the arm of the empty chair, watching the Holders with wary eyes. It made sense they didn't like this. They had every reason not to trust him, but they couldn't exactly do anything to stop him(aside from limiting his access to their Quirks, but that would be more of a blessing than anything).

"Don't bother, that bastard has already won him over." Six spits out, glaring at him with intense orange eyes. "Two centuries of hard work, undone by a childish brat."

No one has any sort of response to that.

The white haired boy shifts, watching them all from under his curls as they lapse into silence tinged in hopelessness.

"You think I'm betraying you." He states tonelessly, earning a glare from Six and several incredulous looks from others.

"Of course we do."

Nine presses his lips together, fingers intertwining around his knees.

"That's fine. I don't trust you, and I haven't done anything to earn your trust either. But I need to do this, with or without your approval, and All For One is my best bet right now. I don't have any other viable options that don't end in the situation escalating out of my control."

"We can find another way to do this, Nine. We can brainstorm, think of ways to deal with this other than resort to All For One." Fourth speaks up, hints of desperation tinting his kind tone.

"Let us help you. We might not have trust, but we can work together and build up a stable relationship. With us at your back, you'd make a good hero. The best, even." Seven steps forwards, resting her hand on his knee.

He pauses, knuckles whitening as he looks away from her kind eyes. She's nice. Too nice for someone who'd taught the delusional asshole that is Eight.

"I don't know if I'll even be able to legally become a hero after this, Nana. As much as I want to change society, her safety and security comes first. I need a well paying job, and with how recognizable I am, it's going to be hard enough to blend in with my coworkers. And even if I did try to be a vigilante, wouldn't the timing be extremely suspicious? I can't get arrested, Nana. Plus all of my information on the illegal weapons trafficking is decades out of date..." He sighs, standing up and running a hand through his hair. "Let's face it, I'm just not meant to be a hero, much less the Ninth."

It's quiet, his words echoing through the crumbling room and back into the void speckled with thousands of stars.

"I can't give you to someone that might actually be able to use you in case All For One turns his interest to them before they unlock all of your Quirks." He says, starting to pace. "Hell, if I did pass you on, I'd have to hide it from All Might too, otherwise he'd try to interfere. So I'd have two powerful people breathing down my neck while I'm trying to train a Tenth, and I'd have to hide my declining power from them both, which would be close to impossible. Both of them have the capacity to manipulate or kill myself and the new Holder before we even get past mastering the base strength Quirk, which is just—"

The white haired boy cuts himself off with an exasperated sound, tugging at his hair as his pacing becomes faster, more frantic.

"If I keep One For All, I'd be holding onto something I may never use, and it has the potential to help someone flourish and become a good hero, one that could help change the system and eliminate rampant discrimination in Japan. But I don't know anyone who would be willing to take One For All if they knew all of the baggage and danger that comes with it, and if I lie to get Ten to take it, then I'd be just as bad as All Might! And even if I did manage to find someone willing to take One For All, I'd need to stay close to them to make sure they don't have to deal with receiving your Quirks and memories alone, which would bring more suspicion on me and that person. So I'd have to keep their training secretive but thorough, and make sure they don't slack off or get a big head because they have access to so much power, which is hard considering the studies from known psychology professors about how power affects people—"

A hand on his shoulder startles him out of his spiral.

Nine turns around, hands still tight in his long hair as he stares up at First and Seventh.

The black haired woman reaches out, gently removing his hands from his hair with a smile on her face. He stares up at her, confused.

"You know, it took a long time for us to become conscious of the outside world." She says, hands warm despite her long dead status. "It came to us in bits and pieces. Just snippets of conversations or a stray thought. Ko and Diagoro actually thought we were collectively going insane for a while."

That gets a chuckle out of a few people, and Second smacks Third on the arm when she giggles a little too hard. Eventually, the sound dies out, and the Ninth's eyes drift to meet First's.

He tilts his head, and the white haired man mirrors it, a shadow of a smile gracing his gaunt face.

"Do you know what the first clear thing we heard was?"

He gazes into First's green eyes, eerily similar to the ones he's seen in the mirror for his entire life, twitching when the man places his hand on his shoulder.

"'I'm aware of how corrupt the industry is, and that's why I'm joining it. I want to change it from the inside. Use the loopholes and twist them to my advantage so people like Endeavor and Kacchan face consequences.'" First smiles as he repeats Nine's words from so long ago, back to the first night he'd spoken to All For One. "Imagine our surprise when we heard the Ninth speaking with such passion. Even with that tiny section of conversation, we became convinced that we needed to reach out, to share our experiences with someone who so clearly wanted to bring positive change to an industry that had gone unchallenged since its founding."

The white haired boy blinks, and they take it as a signal to continue.

"Of course, that didn't end up going as we wanted it to, but the awareness of the outside world grew stronger with each time we managed to reach out to you. We all saw you take care of Eri, make friends, and even stand up to authority despite how terrified you were." Nana smiles and squeezes his hands.

"We saw how Eight was treating you, and we saw most of your final conversation with him. You were right to do what you did, and it takes a lot of courage to remove the rose colored glasses, so to speak." First's smile is more of a grimace, and they both know he's thinking about the experience of taking off his own rose colored glasses. "I also saw your conviction to keep us close, even if it meant your eventual death. You didn't want anyone else to get hurt, and despite your own reservations about One For All at that point, you chose to keep us instead of taking the easy route and handing us off to someone else."

"The point is that you've been through a lot, Midoriya. And some of that has been caused by us, and the Quirk that our successor gave you. But you still want to help people, to work with and make changes to a system that hurt you. That's why you make such a good Holder."

"...Are you guys just saying this stuff to try to get me to kill All For One?" The white haired boy asks, half pulling away from the ghosts despite the wealth of emotions rising up in his chest.

"Absolutely not." Seven says, shooting a look across her shoulder that has Six closing their mouth.

"No, Nine." First says. "What we're trying to say is that you're the perfect Ninth, and we don't want to be handed off to anyone else."

Nine blinks, feeling tears sting his eyes. He shouldn't be crying. He shouldn't. He'd never wanted this, never wanted this mess of a situation. He hadn't asked for seven ghosts in his head, or the two hundred year old menace taking an interest in him, much less the complicated history that came with both. All Might had lured him into this, and he'd followed like an overeager puppy, excited to finally fulfill his dream and make a real change. But as the year had progressed, he'd gotten caught up in the reality of One For All and All Might, so much so that he'd almost forgotten why he'd wanted to be a hero in the first place.

Not the flashy costumes. Not the bright colors. Not the catchy slogans. The ability to reach out his hand and help people in need, people with both feet dangling off of the edge and a defeated look in their eyes.

The white haired boy sniffs, swiping a hand across his face.

"Sorry, just—everything is kind of—hic—catching up to me." His voice catches a bit on the last word, and he lowers his head, hiding his face from the Holders.

First's firm grip loosens, and he moves a little closer, gently rubbing Nine's shoulder and murmuring something in a low soothing voice. Seven is there too, and he lets their voices wash over him as he struggles to breath past the lump in his throat. He closes his eyes, forcing himself to breathe through his nose—

Izuku's eyes snap open, body jolting upwards from the table he'd fallen asleep on. He blinks, faintly registering the computer in front of him and the kitten beside his right arm. Moonlight filters in from a crack in the curtains, illuminating the conference room in cool white light.

He swallows, hard, pushing down the urge to start crying in the real world. Quickly, he gets to his feet, closing the dark computer, eyes flickering to the place where All For One had been hours before.

The white haired boy shakes his head, slipping out of the room and through the pitch black drawing room, straight into the kitchen. It's dark as well, the only light coming from the small window above the kitchen and the near-dead coals in the fireplace built into a corner of the spacious room.

Kurogiri must've used it to make dinner.

He turns away from it, padding to a cabinet and pulling out an empty glass. As it fills with water, his eyes survey the spotless kitchen, eventually landing on the cracked open door that leads to the living room. It's even darker there than here, but he can make out the outline of a person sitting on the couch.

Izuku licks his lips, shutting off the sink and staring at the person for a long moment before padding forwards, careful not to spill the too full glass of water in his hands. As he steps into the room, rounding on the couch, they speak up.

"Hey kiddo. 'Sup." The sound of Twice's voice is abrupt in the silence of the room, and makes him pause.

"...Hey Jin. What are you doing up?" He asks, voice low.

Even though All For One had been accelerating the healing of his injuries at Tomura's request, it was important that the man got proper sleep. Healing Quirks are hard on people's bodies, and if Twice wasn't careful, he'd end up getting sick, which would be even harder on his body considering the nature of All For One's Quirk.

"Just nightmares. You know. As shitty as ever, but at least there's more variety now." The blonde man responds, unusually somber and still.

Izuku hovers over the couch for a moment, taking stock of the man. He's pale, and there are dark bags underneath his eyes. His injured arm hangs limply in it's bright blue sling and white cast, a stark contrast to the dark tank top and sweatpants he's wearing. His eyes fix on the cast, lips thinning as he clutches the glass in his hands tighter.

"I'm sorry."

The apology hangs in the still air, and he looks down, avoiding the man's eyes with stinging eyes. Silence stretches out, and the darkness wraps around them, hiding the shame written all over the white haired boy's face.

After a long moment, Twice wordlessly pats the couch with his good arm. He hesitates for a moment, then sits down, making sure to give the man enough room to move if he needs to. Still, he avoids the man's eyes, instead focusing on the glass of water in his hand.

"Magne said you blame yourself, for us getting hurt—dumbass. You couldn't have done anything. We're grown ass adults, and you're just—a kid." Jin's good hand rests on his head. "It isn't your responsibility to take care of us, or anyone else. We got hurt because we weren't prepared. No, we got hurt because that asshole Re-Destro decided to attack us out of the blue. It was his fault. "

Jin pauses for a moment, then shakes his head and turns back to Izuku.

"Either way, it wasn't your fault. You did the best you could—Are you kidding? The kid fucking wiped the floor with that Re-Destro asshole! That was better than good! That was fucking awesome!"

The blonde man smiles, gently ruffling the boy's white hair.

"Right. And everyone is still breathing, so I'd count that as a win. It's better than a win, did you see the look on that long haired bastard's face when he saw how badly his boss got the shit beat out of him? Priceless."

Tears sting the corners of Izuku's eyes, and he swallows, finally looking up at the blonde man.

"I..." He trails off, blinking back tears. "I know you're right, but—"

"Then there's nothing more to it, kiddo." Twice interrupts, both sides in agreement.

The white haired boy swallows, hard, a watery smile creeping across his face as he leans into the man's touch.

"I'm really happy you're okay, Jin."

Return(Watch It Crash And Burn) Pt.1

"Here." Kurogiri appears from a portal in the side of the stairs, the upper portion of his body sticking out in a way that might've been awkward for anyone else. Instead, the misty man makes it look easy and elegant.

The white haired boy blinks, then narrows his eyes.

This morning, he'd woken up to several members of the League of Villains hovering over him and Twice, whispering among themselves. He'd ignored them, hoping to get as much sleep as possible before his busy day, but then he'd caught sight of Kurogiri holding a camera and flickering in a satisfied way as he took pictures of them. Immediately, he'd lept off of the couch, cheeks hot with embarrassment as he dove into the kitchen and promptly collided with the half-open door, sending it crashing into the wall with a loud BANG that woke everyone else up.

The amused looks he'd gotten all morning were enough to send him rushing away from the breakfast table much earlier than he wanted.

"Izuku?"

He blinks again, shaking himself out of the embarrassing memory and focusing back on the box in Kurogiri's hands.

"What is it?"

"Clothes for today. Sensei said you'd need them."

The white haired boy twitches, doing his best to hide his grimace as he takes the box from the misty man's hands.

"Thank you."

"No problem." Kurogiri promptly disappears, and Izuku is left alone on the grand stairwell, trepidation swirling in his gut.

"Let's make a deal."

Izuku opens the box, peering inside. There's a pile of dark fabric and a white piece of paper sitting on top of it. He reaches in, lifting the paper up to read the scrawling handwriting that decorates the paper.

'Good luck.'

The white haired boy drops the note, letting it flutter to the floor as he lifts up the first piece of fabric, examining it.

It's a dark blue suit jacket around his size. He reaches in again, pulling out a matching pair of slacks and white button down. And there, in the bottom of the box, are a pair of black shoes and a black tie.

For a moment, he stares at the extremely nice contents of the box, half-wondering if he could get away with burning it. Izuku doesn't like suits, and he certainly doesn't like ties. They're annoying and restrictive, and they're far too similar to the UA uniform. Plus, tying a tie is difficult with damaged hands, and he never could get it quite right despite the number of 'how to tie a tie' videos cluttering his search history.

But...considering what he's going to do today, it's best if he looks as put together as possible. He looks down at the baggy clothing he's wearing, then at the suit, and his frown deepens.

Suit it is.

The white haired boy sighs and takes off his shirt, mind drifting to his conversation with All For One.

"No." He immediately dismisses the old man. He may not have personal experience with All For One, but he knows better than to make a deal with him.

"You haven't even heard what I had to say yet." The two hundred year old man complains, lips lifting upwards at his quick dismissal.

"I don't need to." He retorts, turning away. This conversation has already been weird enough, and he doesn't need to add more things to not think about to his already long list.

"What if it involved UA and it's principal?"

He buttons up the shirt, eye twitching at the memory of All For One's smug face and words. The deal was...surprisingly fair, considering the kind of person Hisayoshi is.

"That's all?"

"Yes."

Izuku narrows his eyes.

"There has to be a catch."

"There isn't. The basis of UA and schools like it are based on something that is inherently morally wrong, no matter how much they're glorified by today's society. UA has long passed this line, and the public is blinded to it due to its...illustrious graduates." All For One's words drip with distaste. "It's high time some of their more questionable actions were brought into the light. Don't you agree?"

He tugs on the pants. All For One wasn't wrong. Joining a high school that specifically taught combat and ways to effectively use your Quirk offensively against others was, in essence, recruitment into hero society. Sort of like pre-Quirk era military schools, except these were far better funded and started recruiting at younger ages than ever. Due to the glorification of hero work, more and more students wanted to join the system, to make a name for themselves, because they only saw the side of hero work that the media portrayed, not the deep rooted corruption and greed lurking beneath the surface. Heroes were portrayed as celebrities, scouted out from hero schools based on the most marketable Quirks, and shoved into the public eye before they were even legal adults.

And UA only encouraged this by holding nationwide televised competitions that displayed all of their student's strengths and weaknesses for Japan and the rest of the world to see. Even after the USJ, they'd continued to broadcast their freshly attacked students' weaknesses despite not even detaining the perpetrators in the first place. It was the most well funded of all hero schools, and it could afford to lose the revenue that the Sports Festival brought in.

But it didn't. And it even broadcasted Villain Day too, though at the very least it wasn't inviting hundreds of thousands of strangers onto campus a mere week after a massive breach of security.

UA cares more about it's own reputation than it's students' safety. That's why the Entrance Exam is so skewed towards physical Quirks. That's why the Sports Festival and Villain Day happened. That's why All Might was allowed to publicly announce his position as a teacher there, despite never having received any sort of training to learn how to teach children with dangerous Quirks. That's why his near month long disappearance went uncovered by the media, that's why USJ was played down, that's why the Hosu incident was covered up, that's why so many people in his class have powerful physical Quirks that could be used to seriously injure or kill someone.

Nezu wants complete control over UA and it's image, and he'll do anything to maintain it.

"You know that this probably won't even make a dent in them, right?" He asks, footsteps silent against the ground as they approach the Western mansion bathed in late afternoon sunlight.

"Maybe it will, maybe it won't. No matter what happens, once this is in the public eye, there will always be a seed of doubt in the back of people's minds about UA, and perhaps even hero society as a whole." All For One responds, the wheels of his chair crunching against the dead leaves that litter the path.

Izuku pulls on the jacket, then grabs the tie and stuffs it in his pants pocket. As much as he doesn't want to help All For One, this is the best way to get to Eri, Shouto, and Hitoshi. Plus...the rat deserves this, at the very least.

A smile spreads across his face as he grabs a bandage from under the bathroom sink and applies it right over the new scar creeping across his jaw. He stands, checking his reflection to make sure nothing looks weird as he haphazardly pushes his curls out of his face with the help of some water. It won't last, but at least he won't be eating his hair for an hour or so.

He meets his own eyes in the reflection, and for a moment, his face wavers, replaced with seven ghosts staring back at him.

Nine grins, and the Holders flicker, but Seven nods with a resolute expression, and First gives him an encouraging smile. Fifth gives him a thumbs up, and Fourth nods despite the clear unease in his eyes.

The white haired boy turns away from the mirror, adjusting his sleeves as he walks towards the door. He grabs his new phone off of the bedside table, slipping it into his pocket as walks past the note he'd dropped on the rug a few minutes before and opens the door.

"Hey!" He calls, waving to the people standing around the huge marble entryway. They look out of place in the huge room, probably because he was used to seeing them in the narrow hallways and small rooms of the Kurogiri's bar.

"'Zuku!" Himiko responds, practically vibrating in place as he comes down the stairs.

He smiles, catching her as she lunges at him and wraps her arms around his neck.

"Are you guys here to send me off or something?" He asks, a teasing lilt to his tone as he looks at Dabi, who grunts and avoids eye contact.

Beside the burned man, Magne smiles, rising from the bottom step she'd been sitting on and walking over to him. She reaches out, ruffling his hair affectionately.

"You look good, sweetie. How are you feeling?"

His smile morphs into something more like a grimace.

"Like shit, but hey, at least I'm dressed for the occasion. Are you sure that you want to send Mr. Compress with me? You'll need his Quirk if Re-Destro decides to drop by..."

"We'll be fine. We have Kurogiri, remember?" Dabi says, sidling up to their little group with a laid back expression despite his tense body language.

"I'm just saying—"

"DID I MISS IT?" Spinner shouts from the top of the twin stairs, sounding out of breath.

"Yeah."

"No!"

Magne shoots Dabi a look, which the burned man easily ignores in favor of shoving his hands in his pockets and ambling back to his spot he'd been before.

"I don't want you to go." Himiko mutters into his shoulder, tightening her iron grip around his neck. He purses his lips, gently resting his hand on her arm.

"I know. I don't want to go either, but I made a promise." He murmurs back. "I'll be back in a couple hours, and then you'll finally get to meet your niece in person. Doesn't that sound nice?"

She doesn't respond, and his attention turns back to the green scaled man who made it down the stairs in record time.

"Good luck, little man. I know this'll probably be hard, but it'll totally be worth it in the long run." Spinner says, pushing his long purple hair out of his face with a distant look in his eyes.

The white haired boy smiles, eyes flicking to the blonde man sitting at the foot of the stairs. They exchange a look, and Twice mouths something he doesn't quite make out because Danger Sense flares.

Izuku turns to see Kurogiri, Tomura, Mr. Compress and All For One approaching them at a leisurely pace. Himiko slips off of him, her customary smile gone as she clutches the hem of her new skirt.

"I see you're wearing my gift." The supervillain smiles, neither of his cats anywhere to be seen.

"The only other option was to look like a slob." He shrugs, pushing down the rising anxiety in his gut. This is it. It's happening. "Are the others already there, or will we pick them up on the way?"

"They'll be meeting you there. As for you two, I've already arranged your transportation to Shizuoka Prefecture. It's right outside."

The white haired boy nods and turns around, Himiko close behind as he walks towards the grand door and pulls it open, stepping out onto the huge set of marble stairs that oversee the stately circular gravel driveway that wraps around an island of barren trees.

At the foot of the steps is a sleek black limousine, gleaming in the winter sunlight. Beside it is a person in a spotless uniform and a hat that shadows their features, who bows at his appearance.

"...This is the furthest thing from subtle." He manages to say as the other League members file out of the mansion and into the wintery sunlight.

"That's my bastard brother for you."

First mutters.

"Isn't the point to garner as much attention as possible?" Mr. Compress asks, walking beside him and setting a hand on his shoulder. His regular, flamboyant attire is nowhere to be seen, replaced with a dark, reserved suit and a pair of white gloves. The only thing that remains from his villain costume is a brooch made of one of his marbles pinned to the lapel of his buttoned suit jacket.

'"Sure, but doesn't this seem kind of suspicious...?" Izuku trails off as the person straightens and opens the door closest to them gracefully.

"Fancy..." Himiko whispers beside him, eyes sparkling with interest as she stares at the car and its driver.

The white haired boy shoots All For One an annoyed look, and the old man returns it with a sly smile. He scowls, almost making a rude gesture towards the man—but Tomura starts walking towards him, something glittering in his bright red eyes.

He turns to face the leader of the League of Villains, tilting his head as the man stops a few feet away from him.

"...You're coming back." It's both a question and a statement, like Tomura is trying to convince himself that Izuku won't just disappear the moment he leaves his sight.

The white haired boy nods.

"I'm coming back."

Tomura nods, slowly, nose pink from the wintery air. Then his eyes narrow.

"Good. Otherwise UA will have another villain attack on their hands." He huffs, crossing his arms in a way more like a petulant child than a villain threatening a government institution.

A smile creeps across Izuku's face at the sight.

"I'll be fine, Tomura. Don't worry about me."

"I never said I was worried." Tomura scoffs, turning away from the white haired boy as Dabi snorts.

"You're such a fucking tsudere, Crusty."

"Shut up!" Tomura snaps, glaring at the burned man.

"We should go now, otherwise we'll be late." Mr. Compress says, gently steering Izuku down the steps and towards the car.

The white haired boy lets him, throwing a smile and a wave over his shoulder as he gets into the fancy car. Mr. Compress is close behind, and slides into the seat beside him, giving him a reassuring smile as the limousine starts to move.

Nezu carefully pours hot water into the sleek purple pot he'd bought from a skilled craftsman on one of his rare business trips. The pleasant smell of the tea leaves he'd chosen wafts through his office. It's been a busy week, and between convincing the police department to lend him their resident lie detector, interviews with the entire first year hero course, Aizawa barging in for hourly updates, and making sure word of this situation doesn't make it to the public, he's barely had time to enjoy a good cup of tea.

He sighs, setting the empty kettle on the stove and following the moving table that holds his pot back to his desk. The computer on his desk beeps, indicating that Midnight has come back from her patrol. Speaking of patrol, All Might had been doing that a lot less lately. He needs to retain a strong presence in Mustafu at least, so that the rest of Japan could keep the illusion of safety.

Of course, considering his ever-shortening time limit, it would be difficult, but he could always ask Aizawa and Kan to cover a couple of his classes on the days he patrolled.

Yes, that should be sufficient.

Now he just needs to hold a meeting with All Might...some time within the next few days. Since Midoriya is his successor, he should be going through one of the stages of grief right now, but he hasn't been keeping a close enough eye on the Symbol of Peace to judge which one. Typically it's best to catch a human in the denial stage, but the anger stage will do as well, though it may lead to more paperwork...

Anything past the depression stage is a lost cause, and it's best to stay out of the way, lest be on the receiving end of their feelings. Nezu's lips peel back from his teeth slightly as he slides into his chair, setting his preferred cup onto it's usual place on his desk.

I'll check the cameras for him.

Buzz!

Nezu presses the button to let Aizawa in, internally sighing. This is the most tedious part of his day, and he's almost tempted to make the man wait, but he knows that the man will break down his doors if he doesn't comply. His custom made doors. He likes collecting interesting items, marvelling at them and wondering how a race could be so brutal and yet create such splendid things.

"Aizawa." He greets the man, already knowing how this conversation will play out.

"Nope."

The chimera's fur prickles, and he looks up, meeting a pair of bright green eyes.

"Midoriya." His mind races as he surveys the now white haired child, noting the extremely expensive wool suit he's wearing, and the black tie in his pocket, then moving to the three people standing behind him. His nose twitches as he takes in their scents, quickly realizing that none of them currently pose a physical threat to him. Though, judging from the way the man with curly brown hair holds himself, he has a performance background.

None of them are recognizable in any way, aside from Midoriya, who's eyes shine with cold apathy as he stares down at him, the sunlight making the white bandage stand out even more against his freckled skin. The look has his claws sliding out, and he carefully folds them under the desk, his perfected smile spreading across his face.

"It's wonderful to see you safe—"

"Let's skip the pleasantries, Nezu. I'm here to announce my official withdrawal from UA's Hero Course."

The chimera pauses, mind spinning to calculate the new information as he reevaluates the people around Midoriya. Are they relatives? Moral support? They don't look remotely related to the white haired boy, aside from the brown haired man. Maybe both. How did he meet them? The two farther back—fraternal twins, perhaps—look a lot less comfortable than the person with curly brown hair and Midoriya.

"I see. May I ask what led you to make this decision?" He inquires. Of all people, All Might's successor would be the last person he'd guess to withdraw from the Hero Course. The Symbol of Peace definitely didn't know about this, otherwise he would have talked Midoriya out of this.

Did he stage his disappearance? Perhaps talked to someone with a warp Quirk and had them fake the phone calls with him so he could leave UA? Was he gathering support this entire week? Or maybe he disappeared so that—

Izuku Midoriya grins , and Nezu's ruff stands straight on end, claws flexing involuntarily as everything in him tells him to run and hide. The two people who've been hanging back step forwards, the woman with a short bob setting her briefcase on his desk.

"I am Noriko Matsuda, and I will be one of the lawyers representing Mr. Midoriya."

"What?" A new voice comes from the doorway, and Nezu's eyes flicker to Aizawa, who's simultaneously ten minutes late and right on time.

What was that expression Doctor Kamei used to say?

Ah. 'Saved by the bell'.

Izuku glances over his shoulder at his teacher, then looks back at Mr. Compress. They exchange a look.

"I trust you two can handle things from here." He looks towards All For One's lawyers. The twins nod in sync, and he flashes them a polite smile before turning back to Eraserhead.

"Sensei, why don't we have a chat outside?"

"Midoriya, what's going on? Why did you have lawyers? What are you wearing? Where were you? Who is this man?" Aizawa asks the moment the door to Nezu's office closes.

Izuku ignores him, calmly walking through the hallways. His hands are shoved into his pockets as he forcibly controls his breathing. Satisfaction and fear swirl in his chest, and he twitches when Mr. Compress' hand lands on his shoulder.

"I am Sako. I'm a family friend, and I've been taking care of him the past week." His voice grounds the white haired boy, and he relaxes a bit, forcing down the buzz of One For All in his veins.

"You aren't on his contacts list." Aizawa responds suspiciously.

"His mother and I had a falling out over his treatment at his previous school." Mr. Compress responds smoothly, squeezing Izuku's shoulder. "I won't be making the same mistake again."

A pause.

The white haired boy composes himself, slowing his brisk walk and turning to face his teacher.

"Sorry if I worried you, Sensei, but I needed to clear my head. Sako's place seemed like the best place to do it, and I've been on house arrest since my last disappearance, remember?" He asks, tilting his head at the disheveled man.

His teacher—well, former teacher, if everything goes according to plan—looks surprised, but his eyes narrow and his expression morphs into one of suspicion once more.

"What about the phone calls? You sounded panicked, and your Quirk was reacting to your emotions. Jirou and Shouji both said that you talked to an older man and someone you referred to as 'Shuuchi'."

The white haired boy pauses, studying at the scruffy man for a long moment.

This is the man who was supposed to teach him. Instead, he'd threatened to expel him, didn't bother teaching him how to use his Quirk despite having the perfect Quirk and every opportunity to do so, and almost completely ignored the relationship between him and All Might despite its effects on his mental health. In short, he'd constantly put Izuku in danger throughout the year. Whether or not it was due to his desensitization to it or a willing choice, it isn't okay. No matter how concerned the man seems about him now, it doesn't change the fact that he's stood by while UA put Izuku and his classmate's safety on the line over and over again.

"I know you wouldn't leave Eri like that, Midoriya. Just tell me what's going on and I'll make sure you're safe." Aizawa practically pleads, reaching out for him—

"Don't." His voice is deceptively soft as he looks up, meeting Aizawa's eyes with a dangerously blank expression.

The hero's hand wavers, and Izuku looks away from the man.

"I'm here for Eri. I suggest you stay out of my way and stop asking questions." He says coldly, a memory of the infuriated man standing between him and a smiling Nezu in a room filled with broken glass passing through his mind.

"He's tried to help you—"

Third starts.

Keyword: tried.

He turns back around, his footsteps and Mr. Compress' echoing through the empty hallway as he walks away from his former teacher. He would be lying if he said he didn't feel the slightest tinge of guilt, but he squashes it just as quickly as it comes up. Even if the man had tried to help him, it had been too little, too late. That's all there is to it.

"I never thought I'd see the inside of UA's campus." Mr. Compress comments, tone light as they stroll along the red brick path that leads to Heights Alliance.

The white haired boy snorts at his words, hands still shoved into his pockets. They hadn't stopped shaking since they'd pulled up to UA's front gates. He glances around, noting the lack of cameras and the barely there prickling of his skin as they walk towards the dorms.

"It's not as nice as it looks." He mutters with a sardonic smile. The Heights Alliance sign rises in the distance, partially hidden by a tree with spindly branches. He remembers Kirishima trying to climb it once and falling flat on his back, gasping for air with a grin as Denki and Sero cackled in the background.

"Things never are." The performer sighs disappointedly. "Would you like me to come in with you, or should I wait outside?"

The Heights Alliance sign towers over them now, and he stops right in front of it, considering the building in front of him. He watches the people moving through the common rooms, noting the distinct lack of purple or red and white hair. Are they taking care of Eri? Or is she already staying with a teacher?

He hadn't had time to ask Nezu, so now he stands outside of the dorms, hesitating.

"...I have to pack up, and I don't have enough bags to hold everything we need." Izuku settles on, looking over at the brown haired man.

The moment he'd announced his intention to go and get Eri, the man had volunteered to come along to make sure he 'didn't get lost on his way back' and everyone else had decided it was a good idea. He wasn't thrilled about that, especially considering Mr. Compress' criminal status and Nezu's Quirk, but the performer had insisted that the lawyers and his withdrawal from UA would be enough for him to fade into the background.

"I'll be coming in, then. Anything I need to know before I meet my niece?"

Izuku's lips curl upwards, and he begins to walk towards the dorms.

"She's pretty shy around adult men at first, but if you're patient and move slowly, I'm sure she'll get used to you in no time! Also, she tends to cling to me, so I might not be able to help pack up my room as much as I'd like."

"That's a non-issue. As for my niece, I'm sure she'll warm up to me once I show her a few of my famous magic tricks." Mr. Compress smiles slyly, flicking his wrist to reveal an ace of spades sticking out of his sleeve.

"I'm sure she will." He agrees as they walk up the steps.

The white haired boy opens the door, and they walk down the narrow hallway together, not bothering to take off their shoes. It opens into the common room, which holds Kaminari, Mina, Kirishima, Sero, and Katsuki, all sprawled across the green couch. They turn towards him in sync, and he waves.

""Sup. Anyone know where Eri is?"

Glass shatters, and Izuku turns to see Shouto standing in the doorway with water dripping from his hand and broken glass at his feet.

The boy lunges for him, a path of ice increasing his speed enough that Izuku has to use a bit on One For All to catch the red and white haired boy in time. He grunts as Shouto slams into him, wrapping his arms securely around the boy out of instinct more than anything.

His arms wrap tightly around Izuku's shoulders, then move up to his face, clutching his cheeks tightly as he stares into the white haired boy's eyes with a level of intensity he hasn't seen since the Sports Festival. There's a moment of silence where the boy searches his face, easing up his grip on the bandaged side of his face as realization creeps across his features.

"You're real." Shouto whispers, frosty breath tickling Izuku's nose.

The white haired boy smiles through the guilt rising in his chest, gently cupping Shouto's pale hands in his own.

"I'm real."

Another moment of silence, then—

"HOLY SHIT, MIDORIYA'S BACK!" Kaminari screams from the couch, making the people around him wince and clutch their ears. Not Katsuki. The blonde just stares at him like he's seen a ghost, opening and closing his mouth without saying a word.

"OH MY GOD, MIDO?!" Mina shrieks, lunging off of the back of the couch and sending it tipping forwards, which promptly deposits its occupants on the floor before stabilizing with a loud BAM!

He smoothly steps out of her way, taking Shouto with him.

"What happened to your hair? Why do you have that bandage on your cheek? Did you get hurt? Where—"

"Deku?" Katsuki finally manages to get out from his position on the floor. Surprisingly, he hasn't attacked...yet.

Hopefully it'll stay that way. It would take little to no guesswork to figure out who'd given Izuku the majority of his scars if Katsuki started screaming insults at him. He has no idea what the League would do with that information, but he doubts they'd just leave it alone. He pointedly ignores the blonde, turning back to Shouto.

"Where's Er—"

Someone tumbles down the stairs, and Izuku is once again charged, this time by the class president. He catches the boy right before his face meets the wall, giving Iida an amused smile.

"What happened to no running in the dorms?"

The boy flushes, straightening and pushing his glasses up his face.

"I'll make an exception for now." He clears his throat, no doubt preparing for one of his infamous speeches, but he's stopped by a loud BANG .

Everyone looks over to see Hitoshi and Eri standing at the end of the hallway, right outside the doorway that leads to the stairs. The purple haired boy is wild-eyed and panting as the little girl clutches the grey scarf around his neck tightly. For a moment, they all stare at each other surprised by their abrupt entrance.

Eri stares at the boy standing in the middle of the common room.

Bright green eyes stare back.

It's him. It has to be. Who else could have such kind eyes? But he's gone. Her curse—

A gentle smile spreads across his freckled face, and her entire world narrows down to his face.

It's him. It's Izuku. It's—

"...Dad?" The little girl whispers, so heartbreakingly quiet.

The boy with white hair holds out his hands for her, revealing the multitude of scars littered across them and the drawing peeking out of his sleeve and she knows that it's him. He's not gone, he's not gone, he's alive and here and she didn't make him go away with her curse, he came back and—

And she's moving, running as fast as she can because if she can just get to him in time, he won't disappear again, won't disappear and leave her alone in a suffocatingly dark room with her curse.

"Would you like me to tell you a story?" The boy with the bird head asks, quiet in the face of her nerves.

"O-Okay..." She agrees, leaning away from the boy as he shifts, adjusting himself to the person made of shadows can curl around his shoulders. They're interesting. Izuku has a lot of questions about them, but she can't remember him ever asking the bird-headed boy them.

"There was once a group of angels that resided over humanity. They served as protectors, watching over us and making sure that no harm came to the innocent. Humans everywhere loved them, and they were revered as the protectors of humanity. But one out of the entire group was favored more than most; an angel known as Azrael."

Eri tilts her head. She hasn't heard a word like that before.

"He was the brightest of them all, and always wore a kind smile, even through the darkest of hardships. That smile brought hope to the humans, so much so that they loved him more than any of the other angels. However, the other angels grew jealous of the attention he received, and began plotting his demise behind his back."

Unconsciously, she leans forwards, eyes sparkling with interest.

"Eventually, they came up with a plan to cast him down to the mortal realm. After all, didn't he love the humans like they were his own offspring? They gathered all of their power and lured him into a trap. As they joined arms and began to chant the words that would rob him of his brilliance, he screamed for the world to hear: 'Fear not, for no matter what hardships I face, I am faithful to the human race. I will return on your darkest night, and those who believe and accept my aid will be rewarded.' And then, he disappeared in a flash of brilliant white light. The other angels scoured the earth for him, but could find no evidence of his mortal existence. And over the years, Azrael became a tall tale, his name lost to time. The remaining angels still helped humans, but were weakened by banishing their brother-in-arms."

The bird-headed boy pauses.

"To this day, Azrael hasn't returned. But those who've heard of his tale know that if they just have faith through dark times, a guiding light will lend aid to them."

Eri collides with the white haired boy so hard that she's left gasping for air, tears streaming down her cheeks as she clutches his jacket for dear life, making sure he can't disappear, can't leave her again.

Izuku clutches Eri tightly to his chest, feeling her entire body shake with her silent sobs as guilt and relief threaten to overwhelm him. Tears sting his own eyes as apologies spill from his lips muttered so fast that they muddle together in a mess of words that neither fully understands. She just clings to him tighter, and he sucks in a breath, forcing himself to get it together.

"I'm—I'm sorry, Eri. I didn't mean to leave for so long, but I came back as soon as I could. I promise I'll tell you where I'm going next time, okay? I won't leave like that again." He gently rubs her back as he speaks, making sure to keep a firm grip on her.

A shadow falls over them, and his arms tighten around Eri as he looks up, blinking back tears. Hitoshi stares down at him, something between relief and anger in his eyes.

"You absolute asshole." He growls, arms crossed as he glares down at the white haired boy.

"I—"

He doesn't manage to get another word out, because Hitoshi is kneeling down and wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug.

"Where were you?" Shouto kneels down too, close enough that their words can't be heard by the others. Still, it seems to break the stunned silence of his classmates, and they all start talking at once.

"What happened to you?"

"Did the heroes find you?"

"Why are you wearing that suit?"

"It looks expensive."

"Dude, you looked like you had a teleportation Quirk or something. One minute you were there the next—"

"Where were you?"

"What was with that phone call?"

"We were—"

"Midor—"

"—an't believe—"

Izuku clears his throat and gets to his feet, the action making his classmates quiet down.

"Why don't we bring everyone down here and then I'll explain things?"

Return(And Watch It Crash And Burn) Pt.2

Silence sits over the common room, heavy with unspoken questions and thoughts written all over his classmates faces.

He'd finished giving them a heavily edited version of events that led to his realization that UA was a government funded hellhole made to produce child soldiers, so he didn't really blame them. Even the edited version is hard to take in.

"Which school are you transferring to?"

Izuku blinks at Shouto's abrupt question, shifting to move the blanket covering Eri's limp body a little higher.

"I'm thinking about Ketsubutsu," If they'll accept me after I publicly sue UA. "Since they're technically UA's rivals. But if that doesn't work out, I'll go to a trade school so I can make a stable income."

Iida clears his throat, and all heads turn towards him.

"If you're still inclined towards being a hero, and Ketsubutsu decides that they won't accept you due to your actions, I could talk to my brother about taking you on as an intern. You'd need to hold the position for at least two years, but you'd be able to take the Provisional License under our agency's name after that period of time. I'm sure he'd be happy to have you."

The white haired boy raises his eyebrows.

"Wouldn't that mean your brother's agency takes a hit, reputation-wise?"

"Midoriya, you saved me. My brother would be more than happy to repay that debt, no matter what kind of reputation we receive from it." Iida reassures him, posture as stiff as ever.

He looks down, trying to hide his smile. It was a good opportunity. If Ketsubutsu didn't accept him...maybe he would take Iida up on that offer.

"I...understand your choice, Midoriya." Yaoyorozu speaks up, tugging at her oversized shirt with a nervous look on her face. "After the points you've made, I can see why you consider UA's environment highly dangerous, and it makes sense that you'd want to—"

"Deku, please don't do this!" Uraraka leaps to her feet, startling several of the people sitting beside her. "I know that things seem bad right now, but if you go—if you go then—"

She cuts herself off, eyes watery.

"1-A won't be the same without you, Deku. Please don't go." The brown haired girl pleads, looking into his eyes. His lips curl downwards as she takes a step towards him, but Kaminari gets up too, a determined expression on his face as he strides up to stand beside Uraraka.

"Uraraka is right! You can't just leave, Midoriya. You have the strongest Quirk in our class, and if you're saying that UA is too dangerous for you, then—then what about us? What about the people with the weaker Quirks? If you leave—"

"The nerd's already made up his mind, Dunceface. Stop whining and get over it." Bakugou, who'd been virtually silent since his first disbelieving 'Deku' snaps, interrupting Kaminari.

The white haired boy twitches at his voice, but doesn't react beyond a cursory glance at the blonde. He'd expected the boy to be...louder, but he supposes that the withdrawal is just one less 'extra' for the other boy to deal with.

He gets to his feet, pointedly ignoring Uraraka's watery eyes.

"Thank you for being my classmates. I can't say I've enjoyed this year, but I'm sure that you'll all make good heroes if you work hard on your minds and bodies." He turns towards Mr. Compress, who'd been sitting silently beside him on the couch the entire time.

"We're going to head upstairs and start packing my stuff up."

"I'll come with you." Shouto says, immediately getting to his feet and putting his phone in his pocket.

"Me too." Hitoshi stands up, and they both flank him as he leaves the common room with Eri in his arms, heading for the elevator.

"You're rather popular." Mr. Compress says with an amused smile on his face.

"No, I've just gone missing under unexplained circumstances twice within the same year." Izuku mutters back, keenly aware of both of his friends' eyes on them. "This is my dorm. Could you take care of it while I talk to them?"

The performer nods and disappears into his dorm room, leaving him alone in the hallway with Hitoshi and Shouto.

No one says anything for a long moment.

Then Izuku shifts, moving the sleeping child to one arm as he fishes around in the pockets of his blue slacks. He quickly finds what he's looking for, and whips out the new phone All For One had provided him to call the lawyers. It's not technically his, but since the supervillain hadn't taken it back, it sort of is now.

"Finders keepers!"

Second's gleeful tone is enough to make his lips quirk upwards. Plus, he'd already checked it for bugs and found none(not that it would really matter, since All For One had a way of sticking his nose in other people's business no matter what), so he's claimed it, at least until he can get the money for a new one and a good service plan.

"Here. My old phone broke, so put your numbers in here and I'll call you later." He holds the phone out to them.

Hitoshi reaches out and takes it, typing his number into it quickly before handing it to Shouto. Their eyes meet, and silence settles over them again, punctuated only by Shouto's methodical tapping of his phone screen.

"...You didn't tell us the full truth, did you?"

The white haired boy pauses.

Hitoshi has always been perceptive, so it doesn't surprise him that his friend can sense something is off. He shifts, adjusting the little girl in his arms as he chooses his next words carefully.

"I'm not allowed to tell you everything, due to some of its relevance to the case my lawyers are building against UA. But if you want a better explanation of things, then call me and we can meet up...far away from here."

The purple haired boy frowns, clearly not satisfied with the answer he'd been given.

"...Fine. But it better be soon." He huffs, arms crossed tightly.

"Here." Shouto gives him back his phone, still focused on his own phone, which has been ringing off the hook since they'd got into the elevator.

Eri shifts in his arms, hands tight around the lapels of his suit jacket with a peaceful expression on her face. She'd passed out while he'd been explaining things to his classmates, and the leftover tears glittering on her long lashes and redness around her eyes is the only sign that she'd been crying. His lips curl downwards, and he adjusts her again, pulling the blanket he'd borrowed from the couch to shield her from the camera at the end of the hallway. The sight of it is enough to set him on edge, even if he knows that the rat isn't watching right now.

Just a little longer, then I'll never have to come here again.

He sighs, forcing himself to relax.

"Hey, if someone from the Costume Department comes knocking, could you give them my number? I kind of owe them an explanation, but the lawyers will probably be done soon and I don't want to overstay my welcome." Izuku turns to Hitoshi, who looks slightly pale.

After a moment, the purple haired boy nods, and Izuku feels a faint sense that he'd done something he'd come to regret.

"Yeah, sure, but did you just say something about lawyers—"

"I'm done!" Mr. Compress announces as he walks out of Izuku's dorm room, a pleasant smile on his face. "Are you ready to go?"

He looks back at the two boys, then down at Eri, opening his mouth—

"We'll walk you two to the gate." Shouto says, voice cool as he shoves his phone into his pocket.

Izuku nods, shoulders relaxing slightly as he gives them a grateful smile. Something about just leaving them here doesn't sit right with him, but there wasn't much he could do, short of kidnapping them.

"Let's not add that to our record."

What record?

The walk feels all too short, and in no time at all, UA's gates loom over them.

Eri shifts in his arms, rubbing her eyes with red gloved hands. He'd had to wake her up to put on her coat and shoes, but even after a quiet, brief explanation of what was going on, she didn't seem to fully grasp what was going on.

They all slow to a stop, and Izuku adjusts his grip on Eri as he turns to face the two boys.

"I..." He trails off, voice dying as his eyes flicker to the dozens of hidden cameras around them.

"We'll meet up later. How about over break?"

The white haired boy blinks.

"That's months away..?"

"It's in two weeks." Shouto remarks dryly, checking his phone again.

"Call us once you're settled in...wherever. We'll meet you halfway, and make sure to bring Eri along. I'll miss her." Hitoshi gives the girl a fond smile and ruffles her long hair.

Izuku smiles along with him despite the twing of regret in his chest. He has no love lost for UA and the majority of his peers, but Shouto and Hitoshi are the exception. They...mean a lot more to him than he can really put into words, much less in front of dozens of cameras.

"We'll talk later." He nods, as if trying to convince himself.

The lawyers are coming, walking down the red brick paths with calm composure that belies nothing but calm despite who their employer is and where they are. He looks over at Mr. Compress, but he just gives him an encouraging smile, fiddling with a marble in his hand(the only sign of his nervousness).

He can practically feeling the clock ticking down, and a mixture of nausea and longing rises in his chest as he looks up at the towering gates one last time, recalling the feeling of overwhelming awe he'd first felt when he'd passed through them a year ago.

A year...it's really been that long?

Quickly—almost too quickly, his movements feel slightly jerky and uncoordinated—he rushes forwards, wrapping his free hand around Hitoshi, resting his head on the boy's shoulder. The boy's hand slides around his shoulders, stabilizing him as he takes a couple of deep breaths, pushing down the sudden onslaught of emotions that try to overtake him. He won't allow himself to feel them. Not yet. Not until he was somewhere safe.

"Come here, Shouto." Hitoshi's voice rumbles through his chest, and after a moment, a warm arm wraps around them both, a new hand resting over his own. He relaxes, allowing himself to bask in the familiarity of them.

"Thank you." Izuku whispers into the purple haired boy's shoulder.

No one asks why. No one has to.

Danger Sense flares, interrupting his peaceful moment.

"Heads up, Eight's running your way!"

The white haired boy stiffens, pulling out of his friends embrace and shifting his body in front of them as All Might's footsteps shake the ground. The Symbol of Peace skids to a stop right before he knocks them over like bowling pins, barely holding in a bloody cough.

"Young Midoriya! I heard—" He stops, unsubtly stifling a cough into his fist with a surprised expression. "I heard you were leaving?"

Izuku fights to keep his expression neutral as the lawyers walk within hearing range, ignoring the clear confusion on Mr. Compress' face.

"And I was wondering if you and I could have a word, privately." All Might—no, Yagi, leans in as he stage whispers, eyes darting to the people around them.

He tilts his head, watching as the man subconsciously cringes away from him at the gesture.

That's right. I do look a lot like First, don't I?

"In that suit, you look a lot more like him ."

The white haired boy pointedly ignores that comment from First, shifting Eri so his body is in between her and Yagi.

"I'm sure you have better things to do with your time, All Might." He smiles politely at the man, ignoring the feeling of Shouto and Hitoshi shooting the man dirty looks over his shoulder.

All Might pauses, mouth opening and closing as he tries to compute the cool rejection. He ignores it, turning to the twins. They nod, a sign that they've done everything they've come to do, though Ms. Matsuda's eyes linger on the large blonde man a beat too long.

"Young Midoriya, please—"

"Hitoshi, Shouto." He gives the two boys a tight smile, then turns to the performer. "Sako, I think it's time we leave. Matsuda?"

"Yes?" They respond in sync, matching blank expressions on their faces.

"Thank you for your services, I'll be in contact sometime within the next week with the documents you asked for."

They nod and head for the gate, immediately understanding the undertone of dismissal in his tone.

Thank god.

"The less witnesses, the better."

His lips twitch, eyebrows raising before he schools his expression to give nothing away. The Symbol of Peace is still, towering over them, uncannily still and quiet for someone of his size.

Izuku looks at All Might. Yagi stares back, dark blood crusting at the edges of his usually wide smile.

The memory of a beaming blonde man shouting at the top of his lungs as he saved people flashes through his mind. He can't quite believe that the person in front of him, so flawed, so human , is the same person he'd looked up to for so long.

"Don't try to contact or find me."

"But—"

"That includes your followers." A wry smile plays on his lips, and Yagi leans away, repressing a flinch. "Don't worry, I'll take care of your...gift."

Izuku shakes his head, dark amusement playing across his features as he turns to Mr. Compress.

"Let's go."

The performer nods, curiosity burning in his eyes as they walk towards the gate together, leaving Hitoshi, Shouto, and the Symbol of Peace behind them. As the shadow of the gate passes over them, and the gates slide open silently, he turns back, giving the group a casual salute as he exits UA's campus for the last time.

"It's going to be okay, Nine."

First reassures him.

"Think of it as a fresh start!"

Fifth chimes in.

"And if you want it to be an even fresher start, we can just sneak in and burn the entire school down."

Second adds, and he snorts as he feels the looks that several of the other Holders give them.

"What? I'm just saying that sometimes arson can be useful for emotional development."

Third sighs.

"Isn't that what you said when you burned your ex partner's place down?"

He can practically taste Second's indignance as they launch into an argument with their student about how arson is, in fact, important for emotional development. Izuku just smiles, turning away from UA with Eri in his arms and a sense of quiet relief mixed with bittersweet longing lingering in his chest.

A fresh start, huh? That sounds really nice.

"Oh." Eri's eyes widen as she takes in the massive entry hall.

He smiles at her wonder, slowing to a stop to allow her to take the huge room in. Mr. Compress is right behind him, and stops right beside his left arm, hovering over both of them with a warm look in his eyes.

"Kurogiri said that they're in the living room. Do you want to settle in first, or go ahead and introduce her to everyone?" He asks, playing with a marble in between his nimble fingers.

The little girl lights up at the mention of meeting other people. Mr. Compress had entertained her the entire drive with his magic tricks, and she'd thoroughly won him over with her reactions to it. Although he doubts she'll let him touch her any time soon, it was nice to see two people he cares about meet and interact in person.

"I want to meet Auntie Mags!" She whispers, eyes sparkling with excitement as she clutches her gloved hands to her chest. His red gloves. His chest aches at the sight, but he pushes it aside in favor of giving her a smile.

"Of course." His smile softens. "But if you feel overwhelmed, just let them know, okay? They'll give you space."

She nods, and he adjusts his hold on her and walks through the hallway, Mr. Compress close behind. They move through the conference room and into the kitchen, where Kurogiri is working over the stove.

Eri tilts her head at the sight of him, and when he turns around she doesn't move a muscle, simply staring at him with her hands tight in Izuku's jacket.

"Izuku, I trust everything went well?" Kurogiri asks, and the little girl's eyes sparkle with interest as she watches his mist move.

"About as I expected," Though I could've done without that meeting without Yagi. "I got to sic the lawyers on Nezu and watch him freak out, which was nice."

"He got to say goodbye to his classmates as well." Mr. Compress chimes in, walking up to the stove and plucking a mushroom right out of the hot pan. "He seemed a lot closer with some, though..."

The performer winks at him, ignoring Kurogiri's narrowing eyes and reprimanding silence. He doesn't bother scolding Mr. Compress, just turns back to Izuku.

"That's good. And is this Eri?" He asks, focusing directly on the little girl in his arms.

The white haired boy looks down at Eri, who stares at Kurogiri intensely, without a hint of shyness to be seen and smiles sheepishly.

"Sorry about her staring, she's just not used to seeing anyone with an obvious mutation Quirk since most of my classmates are..." He waves his free hand vaguely.

Kurogiri nods.

"I understand. I remember the first time I saw someone with a striking mutation Quirk. It was quite the experience for six year old me."

Izuku frowns, trying and failing to come up with a mental image of Kurogiri as a child. In his mind, the man will always be...well, a man that cleans his bar and mother hens everyone in the League and sighs disappointedly every time Tomura disintegrates something.

"You mean you weren't just pulled from a void to babysit Tomura and constantly radiate disapproval?" Mr. Compress asks, a teasing smile on his face.

"No. I was hired a little less than two decades ago to care for Tomura. I can remember life before becoming his caretaker, thankfully. It was much more relaxing, and I didn't constantly clean up other people's messes."

The two men dissolve into a weirdly charged argument, and Izuku decides it's time to leave. He slips away from them, heading for the door to the living room. Eri watches them as they go, and he gently squeezes her leg to get her attention.

"Okay, they should be in here. Are you ready?"

She hesitates for a moment, looking back at the two men before looking at him, nerves clear on her face. Izuku gives her a gentle smile.

"It'll be fine. They already love you, and they're going to be super excited to meet you in person!" He reassures her.

"Really?" Eri whispers, red gloved hands balled into fists. She'd tried to return them on the drive back, but he'd declined, telling her that he didn't need them anymore. And he didn't. But even if he did, he wouldn't have taken away something that clearly made her feel safer.

"Really." He confirms, reaching out and opening the door into the living room, where several League members are sprawled across various couches and armchairs. They all look up at his entrance, including...All For One.

Well, fuck.

The old man is aware of Eri's existence, of course. How could he not be, when the League had answered his calls in the bar and talked openly about the little girl? But Izuku had hoped to get to him before he actually met Eri, just to have a chat about boundaries. As in, All For One not coming within twenty feet of her. Ever.

"Good luck with that."

Second snorts, and he can practically hear First shaking his head.

He sighs.

Ignore and deflect, Izuku. Ignore and deflect.

Their chat could happen at a later date. Until then, he'll keep a close eye on All For One and make sure he keeps his hands off of Eri.

"'Zuku! Is that Eri? She's so cute! You guys look really similar! She's so small! How old is she?" Himiko immediately darts in front of them, knives glinting from their hidden straps on various parts of her body. None of them are drawn, thankfully. Eri may have little to no sense of danger, but she would be wary of someone who brandished a weapon at them.

"Yes. Eri, this is Auntie Himiko. Himiko, this is Eri." He introduces them, watching the little girl in his arms stare at Himiko with wide red eyes. She seems a little taken aback by the blonde girl's sudden appearance and stream of questions.

"Awesome! You're soooo adorable!" Himiko coos. "Oooh! Can I braid your hair? It's so long and pretty!"

"Himiko, back up a bit, you're going to overwhelm her." Magne chides the blonde girl, gently tugging her away from Izuku and Eri. Then she turns back to them and offers her hand to the little girl.

"I'm Magne, but you can call me Auntie Mags."

Eri's eyes light up with recognition at the name.

"You're the one who told me the story about the flying horse!" She exclaims, an excited smile spreading across her face.

"Ask her if she remembers me! Ask her if she remembers me! She doesn't remember you, you didn't tell her stories. " Jin calls from one of the couches, standing up and then sitting back down. "Sorry! Not! "

Eri blinks.

"You're the guy with the funny voice." She says, looking back to Izuku for confirmation. He nods, and she turns back around.

It continues like this. She identifies each person by their voice or by something they'd talked about over the phone. The little girl stops at Tomura, tilting her head as the man stares at her blankly.

"You're the one who likes games and Dad. Tomura." She decides, nodding to herself as the tips of Tomura's ears turn bright red from embarrassment. Izuku's lips twitch at the man's reaction, but he keeps his expression sincere as he speaks to Eri.

"Absolutely. Tomura likes me so much that he lets us stay with him, so be extra super nice to him, okay?"

"Okay!" Eri agrees.

Tomura sinks into the couch cushions, pulling his shirt over his face and shooting the white haired boy a glare. He grins back, mischief twinkling in his green eyes.

"What? No introduction for me?" All For One asks.

"Aaaannnd there he is. I knew he wouldn't shut up for long."

"Nope."

He places a hand on his chest, a mock hurt expression on his face. Well, what's left of it.

"How could you be so heartless? After everything I did for you..." All For One trails off, shaking his head.

The white haired boy rolls his eyes.

"Stop trying to guilt trip me. I didn't force you to do anything you weren't already planning to do."

A smile spreads across All For One's face, and his arms tighten around Eri, One For All thrumming beneath his skin.

"Now, now. Don't be so cold! I just wanted an introduction to your daughter, nothing more." He says, one hand on the cat in his lap and the other gesturing in a way that might've been considered a surrendering motion on anyone else. But this is All For One, and Izuku is pretty sure the man would never surrender to anyone, much less a stressed out sixteen year old with a Quirk he'd been eyeing for centuries.

Izuku's eyes narrow as he sees the man reaching for the wheel of his chair, the air chilling as his face drops into something dangerously neutral. Bits of green lightning spark off of his skin as he smiles, the expression anything but friendly.

"If you so much as look at her the wrong way, I'll make you wish All Might killed you."

His tone is so pleasant that it takes several seconds for the people in the room to register what he says, but by that time, One For All is gone, leaving behind flashing colors that quickly die out. Eri reaches out for the green one—First—right before it dies out, and it seems to respond to her touch, floating a little closer and allowing her to brush her fingertips against it. For a split second, it hovers there, then it disappears.

"Dad! Did you see that?" She turns around, and all signs of his aggression disappear too.

"Yeah! That was super cool, how did you do it?" He asks, nothing but interest and excitement in his eyes.

Snow(And The League's Questionable Fashion Decisions)

"Dad! Dad!"

Eri bounces up to him, excitement lighting up her face as she smiles up at him. He returns it, ignoring the fatigue in his shoulders and eyes as he straightens from his hunched position over the desk.

"What's up?"

"It's snowing! It looks just like the sugar that 'Giri put on dessert last night and Auntie Himiko told me that it's like rain but it doesn't look like rain and could we pleaaasseee go outside?"

A smile spreads across his face, the contents of his computer momentarily forgotten as he gets to his feet.

"Of course! But you have to wear extra layers, okay? I don't want you getting a cold."

Her face lights up, and immediately, she grabs his hand and pulls him out of the stuffy conference room, so quickly that he barely has time to close the computer with a tendril of Black Whip before they're decending the grand staircase and in the entrance hall, making a beeline for the coat hangers and pile of shoes that emanate the odors of feet, mud, and wet dog. He doesn't bother putting on any layers, just helps her into as many layers as possible and pulls on a pair of shoes he'd found in one of the rooms on one of his breaks from his current project. She smiles up at him, practically vibrating as she waits for him to finish, almost instantly grabbing his hand and dragging him towards the southern exit. Her energy and excitement is, in part, due to hanging around Himiko, who'd started rubbing off on her pretty positively, considering her love for knives and blood(though last night he'd caught Eri staring at the knife in Kurogiri's hand a little too intensely, and promptly left the kitchen in the misty man's capable hands).

"Look!" Eri cries, pointing out the huge windows. Brilliantly white snow glows as it blankets the once tiled ground around the fancy hot springs that take up most of the back of the mansion.

He hadn't even realized it had snowed overnight, since he'd made a beeline for the dark conference room the moment he'd woken up without Eri there(she liked to hang out with the League while he was busy). Even now, there are tiny little flakes drifting down from time to time.

Everything is cast in a bright glow, bright despite the dark grey clouds thoroughly blocking out the sun. He reaches out, pulling open the door and feeling the cool winter air hit him like air conditioning on a warm day. Not unpleasant or welcome, just surprising.

He breathes in, savoring the fresh air filling his lungs as Eri crouches beside him, carefully poking at the pile of white snow that had amassed right by the glass balcony doors. Her red eyes sparkle with curiosity as her gloved finger brushes it, and he smiles at the sight, eyes landing on the trail of footprints that lead to...

"Dabi, where are your clothes?" Izuku can't keep the exasperation out of his voice when he spots the burned man stretched out across a beach chair in nothing but a pair of tiny swim trunks, a fancy pitcher of something in his hand and sunglasses resting on his pierced face.

"Enjoying the weather." He replies, tone casual despite how he looks like he's on summer vacation in the Bahamas instead of being almost naked in the mountains and surrounded by snow.

Whatever.

"To each their own."

Well, since he inherited his mother's body and resistance, it makes sense that he can withstand, maybe even enjoy this kind of weather with no problem.

Still, he looks really weird.

"ERI!" Himiko shouts from somewhere in the house, and Izuku sighs, stepping aside right as the blonde barrels past him and lands face first in a pile of snow. She pops up within a second, a pout on her cold flushed face.

"You were supposed to catch me!"

"The snow caught you." He replies, gently picking Eri up and plopping her into a relatively shallow pile of snow. She squeals in delight, and his conversation with Himiko is forgotten in favor of memorizing the expression of pure delight on her face when she sinks into the snow.

"'Zuku!" Himiko whines.

"Hm?"

"Do you all have enough layers? It gets pretty cold in higher altitudes, and I don't want any of you catching a cold." Magne appears, leaning against the open doors, her cheeks already flushed from the cold.

He turns away slowly, pointedly avoiding eye contact with the woman(as if that was enough to save him).

"Izuku." Her stern tone makes him twitch, and he slowly turns around, still avoiding eye contact. "We've talked about this. Just because you have cold resistance doesn't mean you can't get sick. I'll go get you a coat, and some gloves for your hands. Stay put."

"Yes ma'am." Izuku agrees.

He doesn't bother arguing. Magne genuinely wants what's best for him. Also she's fucking terrifying when she's angry.

"Hey! You all playing in the snow? That's dumb. Are you kids or something? Yeah, they're all underage remember? ...Oh. " Jin pops out of nowhere, bundled in an oversized tan coat that he almost trips on several times as he makes his way over to Himiko, who'd started moodily making snow people.

Her fingers are red from the cold, but she doesn't seem to notice, almost immediately launching into conversation with Jin when he walks up to her.

There are so many snow people.

Fourth is sobbing in the back of his mind as he weaves through the dozens of snow people that litter the once clear backyard in search of Eri, who'd been spirited away by Jin and Himiko as Magne had swaddled him in an oversized big coat that he technically doesn't need.

How did they even manage to make this many in the span of time he wasn't paying attention? He has no idea, but now he's stuck navigating a maze of snow sculptures with various questionable substances used to make their faces with Fourth sobbing something about sanity and the abyss that he really doesn't want to touch. Ever.

"Look! Look!"

"Get that shit away from me! I'm trying to relax, you assholes." Dabi hisses, and Izuku's lips twitch when he hears a splash and two people cackling.

Quickly, he moves around the last snowperson blocking his path—one that towers over him, it's smile painted in red and eyes made of what looks like chunks of dead grass and dirt—and spots Eri. He grins, rushing over to her and scooping her up, launching himself into the air right as Dabi resurfaces in a burst of blue flames and indignant sputtering. Jin and Himiko squeal, disappearing into their maze of snow people as Izuku and Eri hover over it.

"Dabi, what have I said about Quirk use?" Kurogiri calls from the doorway, as if sensing trouble brewing. From here, Izuku can see two people huddling behind the misty man, bundled in so many layers of clothes that none of their features are distinguishable.

"Not to do it." Dabi groans, extinguishing the flames dancing on his palms as he drags himself out of the hot springs pool and flops onto the shore like a beached whale.

"Exactly."

Izuku grins at Dabi's groan of annoyance, muffled by the snow covered concrete he'd chosen to rest his face on.

"Now, you two go out and experience the weather. You can come in once I have the hot chocolate ready." Kurogiri promptly shoves the two bundles of clothing into the cold and slides the glass doors shut.

"This isn't fair!" Tomura's voice comes from one of the bundles.

"He let Compress hang around!" Spinner hisses accusingly, pointing what Izuku assumes is a finger at the glass door with a mixture of indignation and frustration.

He smiles, dropping to the snow covered ground and setting Eri down. Then he kneels beside her, mischief twinkling in his eyes.

"Why don't you go surprise them? See, if you take some snow and roll it up like this..." He quickly shows her how to make a snowball, then demonstrates throwing at one of the larger snowpeople. "Got it?"

"Got it!"

"HEY!"

"WHO THREW THAT?"

Hisayoshi watches as Tomura and his teammates throw snowballs at each other, the familiar feeling of nostalgia creeping over him. It's an old companion, right along with loneliness. Such are the struggles of longevity Quirks.

"Sensei?"

He turns towards Kurogiri, who hovers behind him with a tray of steaming tea and a small plate of sweets sitting on a tray that would comfortably rest on his legs...if not for the cat resting there. He sighs.

"Set it there."

His follower does as he's instructed, setting the plate on a nearby table and moving back towards the door. But Kurogiri stops in the doorway, and his hesitancy lingers on Hisayoshi's tongue, leaving him tasting fresh cherries.

"Yes?"

Another long pause.

"Nothing, Sensei. Please enjoy your food."

Guesswork And Good Luck(Or Is It Bad Luck?)

Izuku is on a break from his project(stretching and walking around every once in a while helps his concentration), strolling around the bare trees that make up the woods that surround the mansion with Tomura and Eri. Snow crunches under their feet, and white fog streams from their lips as they talk. They're lagging behind him, talking about the food they'd had for breakfast this morning. Kurogiri's food and Disney movies are their usual topics—both are over the moon about Kurogiri's food, and both are new to the world of Disney movies—but it seems to have strayed a little from their usual topics today.

"You were in the kitchen, right? Do you remember how he made it?"

"I think he just put it in the oven? I don't really remember, it was a while ago..." Eri trails off, sounding apologetic.

"Whatever. We can ask him when we get back." Tomura answers, and Izuku can almost hear the shrug in his tone. "He'll probably make more if you ask."

"Really?"

He isn't wrong. Kurogiri quickly gained a soft spot for Eri, and would probably go and get specialty ingredients from Europe if it meant making her smile. The thought brings a smile to his own lips, and he huffs out a breath that billows and disappears into the cool air.

It had taken a while fort Eri and Tomura to warm up to each other. At first, it was mostly silence and occasional awkward eye contact. They didn't interact outside of Izuku, which had been a little disappointing, but understandable. Both of them were naturally quiet people, and neither really knew how to approach each other.

But one day, as they were eating breakfast, something just...clicked. Eri started talking about how much she liked Kurogiri's food and Tomura joined in, much to everyone's confusion. It's an oddly cute relationship, and Izuku finds himself smiling as he watches them interact with each other(plus, with how similar the two look, it's hard not to mistake them for brother and sister). It's still kind of awkward, but they don't hate each other, and that's enough for him. Honestly, after the year he's had, he doesn't think he could handle any more stress.

Speaking of UA, his project is almost done. He just needs to type up an overall summary of events, make some edits so it looks semi-professional, and then send it off to the Matsudas. They've been patient and even gave him extra time to complete it despite their busy schedules, but he's kept them waiting long enough.

His wrist twinges uncomfortably, and he frowns, looking down at it with confusion. Immediately, dozens of theories flood his head.

Did All For One's pain nullifying Quirk stop working? Did I get injured without realizing it? If so, do I need to set it so it heals properly? Maybe it's just hurting because I've been typing so much. Am I developing carpal tunnel?

"Slow down, kid. I'm sure it's—HOLY FUCK!"

Izuku's head snaps upwards, and he finds himself face to face with a giant, rocky man. Green eyes meet white, and the white haired boy stiffens, eyes widening.

Why didn't Danger Sense activate?

Betrayal and confusion wash over him as the huge man tilts his head, making the bare trees that were barely hiding him from view creak. Branches and trunks snap as Gigantomachia leans forwards, something like curiosity on his face. One For All thrums through his veins, ready to activate at any moment, but he doesn't move, worried that if he does, the giant will divert his attention to Eri and Tomura. Hopefully they saw him and are already running away. That'll make things easier.

His vision sharpens, but before he can make a move, the huge man's face morphs into something like joy.

Izuku watches in a mix of confusion and horror as Gigantomachia's eyes grow red rimmed, and his eyes start watering.

"LITTLE LORD?"

"TWO LITTLE LORDS? WE ARE TRULY BLESSED!" Gigantomachia bellows, tears dripping down his face as he kneels at eye level of Tomura, Izuku, and Eri.

The little girl is entirely unaware of his shouting, having been put into Tomura's prized soundblocking headphones as soon as it was apparent Gigantomachia wouldn't be doing anything but sobbing uncontrollably and shouting about 'little lords'. She rests in his arms, looking up at the giant man curiously.

Izuku and Tomura exchange a look.

If we're 'little lords', then who's the big lord?

He frowns, shifting so his body is inbetween Gigantomachia and Tomura. If he needs to, he can grab the pale man and make a run for it. It would be easy to beat the giant man to a sizable city, and it would be even easier to lose him in a crowd of regular sized people.

Hold on.

Didn't Dabi say that Gigantomachia gave them a ride here? And later, Himiko had said something about the giant man lurking around the mansion...how had Magne reassured her?

"I'm surprised he's still lurking around, but he listens to Shigaraki's Sensei, so you should be safe."

"Hisayoshi is your Lord?" The words slip out, and he looks over to Tomura, who shoots him a confused look.

"Are you talking about Sensei?"

"LORD!" Gigantomachia bursts into tears again.

Izuku sighs.

This is going to take a while.

"...I'm going to go get Kurogiri." Spinner says from the patio, then promptly turns on his heel and disappears into the mansion. Dabi stares up at them, looking deep in thought.

Magne is staring too, her sunglasses low on her nose and a mix of disbelief and disappointment on her face.

"How do you even manage to get yourself in these situations?"

Izuku tilts his head.

Is she talking about me or Tomura?

He looks over to the man, who shrugs, hands deep in his pockets as he warily side-eyes the giant cupping them in his palms.

To be fair, this wasn't his idea. Gigantomachia's sobbing was...a lot, and Izuku figured that since Danger Sense didn't go off, it should be fine to give him a comforting pat on his very large thumb. What had ended up happening was Gigantomachia grabbing him and pulling him in for a very long, very tight hug. As in, if he'd been any more squishable, he wouldn't have survived it.

After the awkwardly long hug(in which several of the giant's tears splashed on him), Gigantomachia didn't want to let him go, so he'd managed to convince him that meeting All For One would be a great idea. As the man started towards the mansion, he'd gently grabbed Tomura and Eri with Black Whip and brought them up with him. The giant hadn't seemed to mind(or notice), so here they are.

Sitting in Gigantomachia's palms at the back of Re-Destro's mansion, with the League staring up at them, waiting for Kurogiri, and by extension All For One to come out and calm him down.

Izuku huffs, adjusting Eri on his lap.

The shit I deal with...

He needs a drink and a nap. Preferably somewhere warm. As in, under a blanket, beside the fireplace in the common room that the League cleared out. He yawns, idly glancing over the side of the man's pinkie.

Everything looks small from up here.

Gigantomachia makes the mansion look like an oversized dollhouse.

"What is going...on..."

Ah. There's Kurogiri.

"Hi! Could you bring All For One here? Gigantomachia wants to see him." Izuku gives the misty man a little wave and smile, ignoring the ominous feeling creeping up on him.

It takes the better part of an hour for All For One to sweet talk Gigantomachia into setting them down. The entire exchange is pretty hilarious(the giant's overly emotional and fervent responses would've been a lot more fuuny if his ears weren't being screamed into), but Izuku is glad he's back on solid ground. Something about feeling Gigantomachia's breath on him while sitting in his hands was off-putting.

As Izuku marvels at the snow covered ground, Tomura stumbles off of Gigantomachia's hand, looking pale and shaky. Of course, he and the League had spent almost an entire month fighting the giant, so that makes sense. He reaches out and pats Tomura's arm.

"You want me to make you some hot chocolate?"

"That sounds wonderful." All For One calls from the porch.

"Fuck off, old man." Izuku rolls his eyes, guiding Tomura up the stairs and into the mansion, ignoring Dabi's piercing stare on his back.

"Oi, wake up." A raspy voice, accompanied by a hand shaking his shoulder.

"Huh? What?" Spinner groans, still groggy from sleep. His eyes feel like they've been glued together, but he rolls over, towards the hand on his shoulder.

"It's Dabi."

"I...Why are you in my room?" Spinner asks, eyebrows furrowing as he cracks an eye open to check the clock on his bedside table. "It's two in the morning."

Dabi ignores the question, moving away from his bedside and revealing a corkboard covered in red string sitting on the arms of a fancy, plush chair. He squints, his other eye cracking open as he peers at one of the pieces of paper pinned to the board.

"Is that a picture of Shigaraki as a kid?"

"Yes."

"How did you—"

"That's not important right now." Dabi waves his hand dismissively, pulling out...a plastic pointer finger. Like the ones that first grade teachers use to point at boards, except overly large.

Where did he get that? What is happening?

"Dabi—"

"Okay, I want you to hear me out..."

What Do I Owe You?(A Fucking Explanation, Dipshit)

Izuku stretches out across his bed, watching Eri mess around on his phone with sleep heavy eyelids. Azuki and Jiji are curled up right next to his stomach, heads tucked securely into their sides. Despite how Azuki pretended to dislike the kitten, the older cat would always let Jiji curl up beside it in the mornings.

He smiles, eyes flicking back to the little girl, who's entirely absorbed in whatever game she's playing. He'd originally downloaded some games for Eri so he could focus on his project while she was in the room, but she'd ended up taking a liking to one in particular. What was it? He couldn't remember the name, but he's pretty sure it was about pirates. Even though his project is finished, she still asked to play it from time to time, and who was he to deny her?

Bright morning sunlight filters through the lacy curtains, making Eri's curtain of hair glow light silver as she leans forwards, concentration written all over her face.

It's getting a bit long...

He quietly hums to himself, wondering if she'd let him give her a trim. She hadn't really expressed interest in anything except braids as far as styling her hair, so it would probably be best to keep it on the long side. Eri doesn't notice his gaze, nose scrunched up as she stares down at the phone.

Adorable.

Izuku's smile morphs into a yawn, and he reaches up, half-heartedly brushing white curls out of his eyes. Later. He can figure it out later. Sleep clings to him like a weighted blanket, making his limbs heavy and unresponsive. He flops back down on the bed, surrendering to the feeling and the weight of the comforter tangled in his legs. A ray of sunlight beams across his side, turning the dust motes into tiny embers.

That's right...I have all the time in the world, don't I?

His eyes drift shut, embers dancing behind his eyelids as calm washes over him.

Yeah...

"LORD! LITTLE LORDS! WE HAVE GUESTS!"

All For One opens the front door with a flick of his wrist, several other Quirks simmering underneath his skin as he surveys the group standing in the doorway like lost puppies.

"Who are you and where are the League Of Villains?" Koku Hanabata asks him, stepping in front of the entourage. He must be one of the 'Liutenants' he'd heard the one with the magnet Quirk and the one with the geko Quirk talking about last week. The one who had some sort of emotion amplifying Quirk, if their words were to be believed.

(Doubtful. No one in Tomura's League came anywhere close to having the correct skillset to be a Quirk analyst, much less guess at a Quirk that was used to combat them. That kind of stressful situation greatly impacts a human's memory and makes it hard to form an objective opinion about anything involved with the experience.)

What had they called him? Kazoo? Flute? He had the codename of some sort of woodwind instrument, perhaps to denote his voice-activated Quirk.

"Answer Lieutenant Trumpet you insolent potato!" Another one shouts, and—oh.

What an interesting Quirk...

His lips curl upwards in a predatory smile as he rests his chin on his hand, fishing around for one of his more...subtle Quirks to persuade the young man in front of him to give him some details about that interesting Quirk of his. He'll let the potato comment slide for now, for the sake of satiating his curiosity.

"Geten." Destro's descendant speaks up, tone sharp. 'Geten' bows his head in deference, and Rikiya Yotsubashi turns to him with an apologetic smile.

"Ah, you must be Destro's great grandchild. You look rather similar, though I don't recall him having such a large forehead." He says pleasantly, a contrast to the annoyance bubbling up at the interruption of their conversation. The Quirk he was looking for is firmly in his grasp, but there needs to be at least one untinteruppted sentence exchanged by each party before it starts to take effect.

'Re-Destro' pauses, and All For One can practically see the gears in his head turning. He sighs. Destro recognized him instantly from his mannerisms and speech back in the old days, no matter what mask he wore.

It would seem that the man's brilliance hadn't been passed down to his spawn.

A shame, really. All of that conviction, but no real direction. Usually his ideal target, but...

No. Today, he wouldn't be interfering. After all, this was Tomura's business, and interfering wouldn't be good for his long term development. Having powerful backing meant nothing if you couldn't represent that backing properly, and far too many foolish would-be villains tried to use his name for their own benefits. To their own detriment, of course. No one would tarnish the reputation and network he'd spent years building up, not if they value their lives.

He grins as his fingers brush against a familiar pulsing light, and Destro's spawn grows pale as a ringing sound fills All For One's ears. An illusion Quirk with an interesting side effect, a secondary mutation from the father's side of the family. It's one he'd acquired more recently with the help of the Doctor, and he'd had plenty of practice with it on his trip to retrieve Jiji. While visible mutations were common in this day and age, a lack of facial features was something hard to forget, perhaps a residual piece of an age where the masses conformed to the mundane so strictly that anything the slightest bit different was ostracized.

"A-All For One...?" His voice trembles, and a satisfied smile graces what's left of the two century old supervillain's face.

Finally.

Izuku stares directly at All For One, ignoring the shimmering air that surrounds the supervillain. Several of the Holders shout insults at the man that he briefly considers using before deciding against it. Hisayoshi might be a self-absorbed asshole with absolutely zero morality but he is not the current threat. No, that honor would go to Re-Destro and his four Lieutenants, who are currently all seated around the conference room table he'd spent many sleepless nights at, along with the majority of the League.

Why are they here?

It can't be for revenge. Re-Destro himself had conceded defeat to them two weeks ago in front of his cult. Was it a trick? Could they have lured the League into the mansion and set up a trap around it using their knowledge of the land? No, Gigantomachia would've noticed. As would All For One, but he has far less trust in the walking cataclysm's definition of 'threat' and 'trap' seeing as he is, well, a walking cataclysm.

Then again, Danger Sense hadn't gone off at their arrival...

Maybe they came with peaceful intentions? But what would those even be? The best move for them would've been to lay low and wait for the League to leave the mansion and forget about them, but they'd come here, entirely unarmed, to face the people who they'd cornered and attacked for no apparent reason.

He frowns, eyes focusing on Re-Destro, who's eyes flit from one member of the League to another, as if searching for something. Something...

"'Zuku, that lady keeps staring at me." Himiko leans over and mumbles into his ear, hand latching onto his arm. He forces himself not to tense up, eyes drifting to the only fem-presenting person in the room—a person with long, lilac hair and sickly green eyes with black sclera.

Lieutenant Curious.

She was the one who'd set off that explosive by Himiko's face, wasn't she? The one who he'd almost crushed with Black Whip...who's now wearing a cast and has bandages wrapping around her neck and most of her exposed chest. She doesn't even notice his stare, eyes fastened on Himiko with a faint smile on her lips and a manic gleam in her eye.

Izuku's own eye twitches, and he reaches his hand in his pocket, pulling out a kitchen knife and slipping it to Himiko under the table. She blinks, grip on his arm loosening as she looks down. Surprise morphs into delight, and she shoots him a wicked grin as she adds it to the collection strapped underneath her long pajama shirt. She'd been eyeing the kitchen knives for a while, but Kurogiri wouldn't let her anywhere near the kitchen, so all she could do was stare at them longingly from the dining room doorway.

He shoots her a small smile, eyes flickering over the room again as he catalogues every member of Re-Destro's entourage, noting the visible bandages on several of them and how they all remain quiet, gazes occasionally trailing to their leader almost expectantly before they look away.

None of them have uttered a word since they'd entered the mansion, not even when the League members began filing in, looking healthier than ever—the polar opposite of the Re-Destro's group. Not even when they'd seen Kurogiri, or when Izuku sat himself down in an office chair like he belonged there. Two in particular look like they want to speak, namely the man with the long white hair—Geten, who'd fought Dabi—and Trumpet, who'd hunted down Magne and Spinner using a mob motivated by a voice activated Quirk. The latter in particular keeps on sending long glances at Re-Destro, hesitating, and then looking away. The former looks antsy, eyes darting around to every available exit of the room in an almost obnoxiously obvious way. It's the exact opposite of subtle, and if the glares he keeps on sending any League member that looks at him for too long are any clue, Geten is not happy to be here.

Skeptic, on the other hand...

Complete and total silence as they stare at the table below them. Not one electronic in sight, not even a phone as they sit beside Re-Destro so silently, one might think they were a statue.

Across from them, Jin grips the armrests of his office chair beneath the table, eyes unseeing as he stares out one of the bay windows above their head. He doesn't say a word, but his expression is enough to stir the embers of rage lingering in Izuku's chest.

He frowns harder, turning to the man who's sitting beside him—Tomura, who's currently trying to burn holes into the side of Re-Destro's head while said man ignores him.

Tomura seems to notice Izuku's gaze, and he turns ever so slightly, red eyes meeting green.

He must see something in the white haired boy's look, because the silent rage swirling behind his red eyes slows, solidifying into something more sharp and clear. He turns away from Izuku, deliberately setting both of his intact hands on the conference table with a firm THUD .

Several people jump, hands reaching for their weapons(or, rather, their lack of weapons) when Tomura interrupts the near stifling silence that had been hovering over them for several minutes.

"Why are you here?" His tone is cold and clipped as he straightens, making himself look bigger as he stares Re-Destro down from his position at the head of the table.

The balding man stiffens at Tomura's voice, but his posture quickly shifts into something more challenging as he turns all of his attention towards the leader of the League Of Villains.

"Where is he?"

Tomura's hands flex, annoyance written all over his features at Re-Destro's response.

"Answer my question."

"The Great Commander is here to talk to the person who managed to subdue him, not some second-rate villain with a mediocre Quirk." Geten scoffs, scorn written all over his delicate features as he crosses his arms and glares at Tomura.

"Geten!" Trumpet barks, the name sounding like a command as he slams a fist on the table with a loud BANG !

Himiko twitches, expression dangerously calm as Magne grips her magnet in a white knuckled grip and the scraping sound of Spinner's katanas fills the air. The wood beneath Tomura's hands begins to crack at the same time the smell of smoke reaches Izuku's nostrils.

Dabi stares directly at Geten, fingers digging into the wood table and branding it with his fingerprints with a cruel smile on his stapled face.

"That's big talk for a one shot scrub who lost out on the actual action." He taunts, voice tight with gleeful anger.

Geten flushes bright red, his delicate features twisting in anger and indignant embarrassment as he leaps to his feet, droplets of condensation solidifying around him as Dabi rises to meet him just as quickly, blue flames licking at his scarred forearms—

They can't fight in here.

Black Whip lashes out as the thought forms in Izuku's mind, wrapping around Geten's torso and pinning his arms to his sides tightly. The droplets of water fall just as quickly as they formed, most likely due to the abrupt disruption of Geten's focus, but Dabi remains standing, and the smell of smoke is stronger than ever.

"Dabi, sit down. He's not worth your time." Izuku instructs calmly, ignoring the Holder's graphic suggestions of what to do with the man currently trapped within Black Whip.

Honestly, he's not too surprised by the violence of their suggestions. Fifth and Seventh were the only registered heroes among them, and even then they were considered too brutal by developing modern day hero standards. The rest were firmly in the vast grey area between vigilantes and villains, which only became more blurred the farther back in history you went. All things considered, it is nice that they've switched from shouting insults at All For One and distracting him to giving him advice, but none of their suggestions for how to murder Geten will answer his questions about Re-Destro's visit.

Dabi relaxes, hands retreating to the pockets of his sweatpants as his smile morphs into a smirk. Geten scowls at that, mouth opening to form words—only to let out a pained shriek as Black Whip tightens and the sound of something cracking echoes through the conference room.

The smirk on Dabi's face grows wide enough that Izuku is somewhat worried about the man ripping a stitch.

"You're right." Dabi agrees, not turning to him as he shrugs. "Plus, that old man would kill me if he had to clean up a mess this early in the morning."

With that, he flops back onto his chair, and Izuku lets out a silent sigh of relief.

Thank god.

Eri is still upstairs and playing on his phone, entirely unaware of their uninvited guests—and Izuku wants to keep it that way. If she were to come down and Re-Derstro and his followers caught sight of her...

His eyes darken, and Black Whip pulses, doubling in size. Stray tendrils writhe mid-air, dangerously close to several people's faces as he stares at Geten, who's face grows purple as he lets out strangled, breathless gasps—struggling to breathe, much less speak.

Good.

"The next time you open your mouth, I'll rip out your tongue." He smiles , giving Geten one last squeeze before Black Whip retracts, winding around his bare forearms as the white haired man collapses to the floor, heaving in huge breaths of air.

"You should keep a tighter leash on your dogs." Tomura sneers, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.

Himiko giggles beside him, nothing but delight in her expression as she watches Geten like a cat would a mouse. Dabi is silent, but the glint of satisfaction behind his cold turquoise eyes says enough. The rest of the League watches with absolutely zero sympathy as Geten struggles for breath on the lushly carpeted floor, their tension from before ebbing.

Izuku watches the man on the floor with absolute apathy. Geten played a role—no matter how small—in harming the League. He doesn't feel any sort of sympathy for him.

Geten hadn't shown any sympathy when Dabi almost killed himself from Quirk Exhaustion in an attempt to defeat him.

"Now, now Izuku . We can't kill our guests before Kurogiri serves them tea, can we?" All For One's voice drips with amusement and false pacificity as he leans forwards, lacing his hands together with a toothy smile.

Just the sight of it has the Holders up in arms, and Izuku's fingers go numb as he suppresses several ghosts attempting to jump out at All For One.

Play nice.

The Holders pipe down, and Izuku shoots the supervillain a cold stare.

Why the hell is he smiling like that?

"I don't know, but I don't like it."

First mutters, and Black Whip tightens again, not enough to hurt, but firm enough to remind him that it's there.

"It's you ."

Re-Destro says, tone awed as he stares directly at the Quirk winding around Izuku's forearms. The reverence in his gaze makes Izuku's skin crawl , but he keeps his neutral expression in place, mind racing.

Black Whip is a pretty distinct Quirk, and seeing as he'd just used it on one of Re-Destro's subordinates in front of him...

I blew my own cover.

No wonder All For One was smiling, that bastard realized it before he did. Izuku resists the urge to facepalm with every ounce of One For All, eyes darting towards Tomura for some sort of support. The man doesn't meet his gaze, but pointedly moves his chair closer to Izuku, red eyes fixed on Re-Destro.

"What kind of reaction is that?"

The reaction of someone finding something they wanted to find.

Geten said that they were here to talk to him. Was that why Re-Destro had been looking around so much? Had he been looking for Izuku the entire time? But why...

Oh.

His fingers twitch as the fuzzy memory of cupping a bright, pulsing light with numb fingers and the afterimages of two separate people's lives flashing through his head.

He wants his Quirk back.

" You're the bishop?" Skeptic finally speaks, peering at Izuku from beneath his heavy black bangs.

Huh?

"Skeptic." Re-Destro reprimands, tone sharp.

Skeptic lowers his head in deference as the balding man turns back to Izuku, excitement sparkling in his eyes.

"I'd never expect someone so young to have defeated me in battle, but I suppose it's evidence of your superior lineage! Tell me—"

CLANG!

He jumps, eyes darting to Himiko, who gives Re-Destro a dangerously sweet smile as her knife vibrates from how hard she slammed it into the conference table.

"'Zuku doesn't want to talk to you, weirdo."

"Stop interfering with the Grand Commander's conversation!" Trumpet gets to his feet, slamming his hands onto the conference table again with an indignant expression.

"Trumpet, stand down!" Re-Destro commands, strong anger lacing his tone like grey clouds rumbling, threatening a storm.

Trumpet pales, all bravado gone as he sits back down, head lowered to his lap; a mirror of Skeptic. It's silent for a moment, the faint sound of a clock ticking from another room the only interruption as Izuku processes the disturbingly abrupt mood switch.

Side effect of his Quirk. Most likely suppresses emotions to feed Stress and make it stronger, at the detriment of having issues expressing emotions properly. Looks like his followers have developed a physical response to these outbursts, which potentially means he's gotten physically aggressive at some point.

The Holder's voices fade into the background of his mind as he stares at Re-Destro, watching the vein in his forehead slowly subside at the display of submission from Trumpet.

Interesting, they've developed the same physical reaction. Could it be because he reacts to it best or because he's actually taught them how to act while he's angry? Either way, it's a sign of his sense of superiority over people below him. He most likely believes in some sort of ideology of 'the strong rule over the weak'. Could it be class-based or Quirk-based?

Re-Destro turns back to Izuku with a pleasant smile on his face, as if he hadn't just caused someone to have a real, physical fear response to his voice. Something churns in the pit of Izuku's stomach, and Black Whip tightens on his forearms—as if to remind him of its presence.

"My apologies, my subordinates seem to have forgotten their place." His light tone is a sharp contrast to his barbed words, which make both Skeptic and Trumpet lower their heads further.

Izuku stares at the balding man, completely silent.

Most likely Quirk-based. He's clearly here for his Quirk, and he's willing to publicly humiliate his followers to assert dominance or control in front of me. Grasping for the straws of power? If he is a Quirk supremacist, I took away the thing that put him at the 'top'. Then why isn't he more upset? If anything, he seems—

A hand lands on the white haired boy's shoulder, startling him out of his train of thought. He looks over to see Tomura, concern behind his red eyes as he grips Izuku's shoulder firmly.

Bakugou heaves for air, vomit trickling down his chin as he sways, struggling to stay on his feet. Pain radiates through his body as he struggles to his feet too, resisting the urge to ask the blonde if he's okay. As if hearing his thoughts, the blonde looks up. But he isn't glaring at Izuku. No, he's staring at All Might as he advances on them, his low, threatening voice rumbling through the empty city block with this look in his red eyes. Like All Might is the only thing he sees, the only thing he cares about — like he's some sort of god.

Re-Destro's eyes mirror that sort of fervent focus, the kind that Izuku had seen directed towards All Might one too many times. The look that said someone would blindly follow him to their own demise, tear themselves apart for a kind word or glance.

And now it's directed towards him.

"Izuku, whatever you're thinking of doing..."

Nana trails off, tone full of warning.

Blood trickling down Himiko's face. Mr. Compress' missing gloves. Tomura's crushed arm. Spinner's desperation. The look in Dabi's eyes when he'd faced Geten. Magne's clear exhaustion as she accepted a snack from Mr. Compress. Jin's expression when he saw Skeptic.

Cold calm washes over him, and his eyes sharpen. He leans back in his chair, boredom settling over his freckled features.

"So you managed to recognize me. Do you want a reward?" Izuku asks, raising an eyebrow at the balding man.

"Of course not! I wouldn't dare ask for something from someone as powerful as yourself!" Re-Destro says quickly, raising his hands placatingly as he lowers his head, avoiding direct eye contact.

"And yet you came here and disturbed my sleep." He muses, letting Black Whip curl around his fingers as morning sunlight slants down onto the abused table.

"I—"

"I don't want excuses, I want to know why you decided to barge in and interrupt my morning." Izuku interrupts sharply, green eyes cold as he stares at the shiny top of Re-Destro's head.

He can feel the League's eyes on him, can feel their confusion at his mood switch, but he ignores it, as well as All For One's interested gaze. He can't falter or hesitate, can't show any signs of uncertainty.

"W-Well, I was hoping...I was hoping that you would..." Re-Destro trails off, looking up to gauge Izuku's reaction before ducking his head. "I was hoping to persuade you to give me the Quirk that you took from me."

Several heads snap towards Izuku, and he can practically feel the League's disbelief as he tilts his head at the man.

" Your Quirk? I've made better use of it within the last two weeks than you have in your lifetime. Your notion of ownership is flimsy at best." He scoffs, lifting his hand lazily, showcasing the black smoke floating at his fingertips, waiting to spread and cover his body at a moment's notice.

Re-Destro glances up again, eyes widening at the sight of his Quirk at Izuku's fingertips before flinching away from his gaze. He curls inwards, head bowed as a drop of sweat trickles down his neck and disappears into his suit. His followers mimic him, heads bowed with their hands folded into their laps. Even Geten, who trembles like a leaf from his recently reclaimed chair.

Izuku flexes his fingers, watching a beam of light hit the smoke in just the right way, making it sparkle silver.

Residual mutation from the maternal grandmother.

"However, perhaps I could be persuaded..." He trails off, a smile playing across his lips. "It depends."

"What are you willing to sacrifice, Rikiya?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees understanding dawn in Tomura's eyes, and the man glances at him, question in his eyes. The smoke at Izuku's fingertips disappears, and he gives Tomura a vindictive grin.

Milk him for all he's worth.

"You know, you can't just ask him for something that he won after he beat your sorry ass fair and square." Tomura turns to Re-Destro, crossing his arms. "Hell, even you admitted that he beat you! So why would you come back here for something that he won?"

He caught on fast.

"I was hoping that I could rely on Izuku's grace—"

"Don't say his name." Dabi interrupts, eyes sharp and cold.

Re-Destro twitches at the burned man's interruption, looking between him and Izuku, who simply raises an eyebrow. The balding man pales and ducks his head.

"I apologize! I swear I didn't mean to offend you, I simply have no other way to refer to you—"

"You don't get to refer to him at all." Mr. Compress interrupts him again, tone light with threatening undertones.

"It's fine." Izuku waves his hand dismissively, shooting the masked man a smile before reverting back to boredom. "How did that one refer to me, before?"

Re-Destro looks up, following his finger to the long haired man sitting right beside him.

"...A bishop?" He asks, wavering with hesitance, as he looks from Skeptic to Izuku, still avoiding eye contact.

"Yes, that will do." He nods, satisfied. They can't go around referring to him as his actual name, that makes them think they have information on him, and therefore power. They need to be as desperate as possible for this to work.

"O-Of course! We will only refer to you as Bishop if you'd like?"

Izuku hums noncommittally, pretending to focus on a strand of Black Whip curling around his fingers.

"You know, he still hasn't actually offered us anything yet. It doesn't sound like he wants his Quirk back very much." Dabi leans back in his chair, tucking his hands behind his head.

"Yeah! He should be kissing our fucking feet right now! " Twice pipes in, knuckles white on his armrest as he glares down at Skeptic.

Himiko giggles at his words, a sharp glint in her eye as she caresses the knife in her hands. Spinner doesn't say anything, hands on the handles of his katanas as he eyes them with distrust.

"W-What kind of thing would you prefer?" Re-Destro asks, another drop of sweat trickling down his neck.

A smile spreads across Izuku's face, green eyes glinting with glee as he looks down at the balding man.

"Hmm...what do you think, Kurogiri? What would be a fair trade?" He asks the misty man, amusement written all over his scarred, freckled face.

Kurogiri doesn't halt his entrance into the room, continuing his path to Tomura and setting a tray with a fancy tea set on it in front of the white haired man. The only evidence of his anger is his dark, almost black smoke as he begins to methodically prepare the tea.

"I suppose it would have to be something equivalent to his desire. An arm, a leg, perhaps his tongue...something he values equally as much as the Quirk."

The sound of the spoon clinking against the ceramic echoes through the room as the League turns their gazes back to the bowed, bald headed man.

"I-I can give you money!" He tries, glancing up at them.

Upon seeing nothing but disinterest, he pales, starting to sweat even harder.

"I can give you this mansion! And any other property you want!" Re-Destro exclaims, looking up with a hopeful smile.

Izuku yawns. The balding man pales even further, smile wavering as more sweat trickles down his forehead.

"I-I'll give you my arm!"

Himiko lights up, and she leans forwards, interest sparkling in her yellow eyes.

"Really?"

" Now we're talking." Dabi nods, a cocky grin on his face.

"I dunno, what would I even do with it?" Izuku drawls, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"You could always stuff it and hang it on your wall! Ask for his tongue instead! Or his teeth! " Twice pipes up, pumping his arm excitedly.

"That sounds rather tasteless." Mr. Compress muses.

"I agree with Compress, that does sound tasteless. Perhaps a leg instead?" Kurogiri suggests, setting a steaming cup of tea in front of Izuku.

"And have some stinky old man's foot on your wall? Ew!" Himiko wrinkles her nose, recoiling at the thought.

He takes a sip of the tea.

Perfect, as usual.

How Kurogiri manages to remember his preferences for the smallest of things is really amazing. Honestly, Izuku wonders if he has a secondary memory Quirk. It's not entirely off the table, especially considering his employer. As he muses about Kurogiri's potential second Quirk, the League has devolved into a debate about which part of Re-Destro's body to remove and mount on a wall.

All the while, the man in question is silent, sweat soaking the collar of his shirt as his skin grows paler by the second.

When Kurogiri sets the final cup of tea down in front of All For One, Izuku decides to interject.

"To be honest, I don't think I want one of his body parts. However, what Kurogiri said about equivalent value has some merit." Izuku tilts his head, watching as Re-Destro visibly relaxes.

"What do you think is equivalent to a Quirk?"

The balding man stiffens at being directly addressed.

"I believe...I believe power is equivalent to a Quirk, Bishop." He says, realization dawning on his face as he finishes the sentence.

Izuku smiles.

"So. What kind of power can you offer me, Rikiya Yotsubashi?"

Rikiya Yotsubashi, the fourth son to hold the title of Re-Destro and the great-great grandson of Destro kneels before a white haired boy.

"Rikiya, remember what Destro said. The powerful are destined to rule, and the weak are destined to be ruled. It is their inherent, natural right as a human being. Do you understand?"

He thought he understood back then, when he reigned over his loyal followers with a gentle hand and a kind word. Those within his kingdom were rewarded for their loyalty, their Quirks trained and honed under supervision so they could exercise their rights to the fullest.

But he'd forgotten—Father's words weren't meant for him. He'd taken their meaning and twisted them to fit his own needs, his own selfish desires.

The truth of the matter is that the strong rule over the weak, and that he is no longer qualified to rule. However...

Rikiya looks up at the boy standing over him, features lit up by a beam of sunlight, a softer version of the light that had radiated from his body when he'd lost his power. His white curls frame his face in a glowing halo, bright green eyes cool as he surveys Re-Destro.

Power. That was what Bishop wanted.

I'll prove myself to him. Even if I cannot be counted as one of the strong, I will get as close as possible to strength as I can.

A hand extends towards him, green sparks dancing off of freckled skin as a small hole forms in the palm. Rikiya watches with fascination as light filters through the hole, even as the hand grows closer.

Yes. This is what power looks like.

Power is a white haired boy with holes in his hands, a halo surrounding his head and bright green eyes that see everything.

Destro would approve of my decision.

The boy's hand rests on his forehead, and Rikiya's world is torn apart once more.

Click.

The front door closes, and Izuku lets out a sigh of relief, sagging against the conference room doorway.

Thank god that's over.

Just the memory of Re-Destro's reverent eyes was enough to make his stomach churn with disgust. It's too much, too similar to the looks he's seen too many times to count. He doesn't want to be like All Might, he doesn't want that kind of attention or idolization.

The faint memory of Stain's crazed eyes when he'd talked about All Might flashes through his mind, making him shudder.

"Izuku."

He flinches, turning to Spinner, who grips the handles of his katanas tighter than ever as he hovers beside the empty chair at the head of the table.

"Did you—did you actually give his Quirk back?"

Well it's nice that he's not focusing on One For All, at least.

He doesn't really have the energy or motivation to explain the two century old grudge match in the form of a Quirk he'd been saddled with today. Or ever. He knows that it's impossible to avoid explaining it anymore, not with what he'd done today. He doesn't regret it, though. It'll give the League more credibility, more safety beyond All For One's vast influence.

"...Sort of." Izuku finally responds, running a hand through his curls. He can feel a headache forming behind his left eyebrow, and he's not thrilled about how bright this room is.

The League of Villains watches him, clearly wanting to bombard him with questions now that Re-Destro and his followers are gone but unsure where to start.

"Sort of?" Magne prompts, voice calm despite the curiosity written all over her face.

"I gave him a copy of Stress, not the original. It's weaker and harder to control." He explains, resisting the urge to yawn. That's not all he did, but they only really need to know that Re-Destro's Quirk is weaker than before, not that he'd discovered that he could take Quirks from a distance and promptly replaced them with copies.

That Quirk evolution was actually pretty straightforward and helpful this time.

Though he doubted he'd be using it in the future unless someone's life was at risk.

"How's that headache coming along?" All For One's velvety, knowing voice sets his nerves on edge.

Asshole.

"Wonderfully, thanks. You want to explain this or should I?" Izuku snaps. His bullshit tolerance is at its limit for the day, and he doesn't have the willpower to keep the Holder's more violent urges fully tamped down right now.

"The floor is yours." All For One dips his head in a way that might've been mistaken as respectful if not for that fucking smile on his face.

In Bakugou's words, fuck off and die already.

"I'm going to give you the short version of events because I want to take a nap in a very dark room before this headache gets any worse." Izuku turns to the majority of the League who stand in the Entrance Hall, illuminated by the bright morning sunlight that makes him feel like someone is repeatedly jabbing his eyes with a plastic spork.

"A little over a year ago—"

"Around fifteen months ago, to be exact." All For One interrupt gleefully.

Izuku slowly, slowly , turns around, making direct eye contact with the indents where All For One's eyes used to be.

"Interupt me again, and I won't stop the Holders from snapping your fucking neck while you sleep."

All For One grins, full of teeth and amusement. He gives the man a flat stare, then turns back to the League.

"A little over a year ago, All Might offered me his Quirk after seeing me jump headfirst into danger because people were watching a child suffocate right in front of their eyes without doing anything. I accepted because a few hours ago he'd crushed my dreams of being a Quirkless hero on a rooftop, and I was emotionally vulnerable. Plus I was a fan of his so there's that. Anway. That sounds cool right? A Quirkless kid gets to become All Might's successor! I fucking wish. It turns out that I was accepting a lot more than just a Quirk, including and not limited to two hundred year old baggage—yes, I'm talking about you—" He jerks his thumb in All For One's general direction. "And a shit ton of pent up trauma. To keep this short, I've had eight people's experiences, trauma, and Quirks shoved into my head because All Might is a shit teacher and absolutely fucking oblivious when it comes to anything except for himself. I nearly lost function in my hands because his only advice was to yell 'smash' and punch things. He's Quirkist and refuses to see how he could've been wrong in any subject at all. Also he wanted me to be a carbon copy of him, the next 'Symbol of Peace' or whatever. Not a good idea for several reasons I don't feel like getting into."

"Overall, All Might is a dick, All For One isn't much better, and I have a bunch of ghosts in my head that want to kill him." Izuku concludes, pointing at All For One, who sits in his wheelchair with an amused smile on his face.

"Now that they know about us, can we please have a go at him?"

Ko asks, voice full of longing.

"Let me sleep off this headache and I'll think about it." He yawns, feeling like his eyes are being dug out with a plastic spork.

"I suggest drawing your curtains tightly, or finding a room with blackout curtains." All For One suggests, a smug smile on his face.

"Your Quirk drawback fucking sucks." Izuku says, heading for the stairs with squinted eyes to block out the bright sunlight.

"I'm aware. Is there anything else you'd like to get off your chest before you leave?" The supervillain calls, something lurking beneath his amused tone as Izuku grabs the railing and begins heading up the stairs.

"Nezu is a fucking creep. Also, Yoichi was terrified of immortality and purposefully gave One For All away to avoid it." He calls as mist tickles his feet and midnight purple smoke envelops his body.

For a moment, All For One watches the spot where Nine had fallen into Kurogiri's portal, something like surprise on what little is left of his features. Then a toothy grin spreads across his face, wide enough to force the ventilator over his mouth to shift.

If only Yagi could see his little successor now...

Realizations(And Acceptance)

Shigaraki stares at the place where Izuku had disappeared into Kurogiri's warp, not really seeing anything. His vision is blurred, mind in an entirely different place as one name echoes through his mind.

All Might.

One name, the name that had been branded into everyone's minds since they were young, the name that symbolized modern-day heroism itself, the name he'd come to hate, and all of the pieces fall into place.

Everything, from the first scream of 'smash'at USJ to the raw power that seemed to radiate from Izuku to the shadowy mentor that hung over the green haired boy like a shroud, all solved with a single name.

"I...need to breathe."

No wonder he hadn't told them about his mysterious mentor. It was fucking All Might, and the deal he'd made had involved something so impossible that Shigaraki himself would've had trouble believing it.

"That sounds cool right? A Quirkless kid gets to become All Might's successor! I fucking wish."

And yet...it made sense. The relaxed attitude around villains that had tried to attack him, the ease in which he read people's moods, the gift giving, the panic attacks and nonchalance about things that even villains thought were wrong. Of course he didn't realize how messed up his treatment at UA was, he was Quirkless and relying on All Might, who wanted Izuku to be his perfect little successor.

His stomach rolls in disgust at the thought.

Izuku isn't like All Might at all. He isn't some distant, unreachable goal that set society's expectations so high that they forgot how to lend each other a helping hand. No, he's so much more than that, so much more than the lightning that dances around his body or the black tendrils that curl around his forearms. He's a real human being, a kid that has scars and emotions and flaws and little oddities that make him uniquely Izuku.

Time after time, the hero student came back to the bar, back to the League. Even as the bags under his eyes got darker, and he began to lose what little animation he'd had, he still stopped by the bar, sometimes with school stuff, sometimes just to rest his head on someone for a few hours. He was cracking under the stress, and Shigaraki stood by and watched, unsure of how to help as Izuku deteriorated further and further—until he finally cracked and ran away—and right towards a bar full of villains.

"I-I'm sorry, I just...I panicked and I didn't know where else to go, and I promise I won't get in the way, it's just he knows where I live and I can't—"

The mysterious, shadowy mentor that seemed to hover over Izuku, dictating every action and decision to the point where he would start shaking at the mention of it, was none other than All Might himself. Of course he'd asked Shigaraki to hide him. Who else would dare shield All Might's successor from him? Certainly not a hero.

"Sensei."

Kurogiri's voice echoes through the silence, making Shigaraki jump a little. He knows that tone of voice. He looks over, focusing on the slow swirl of Kurogiri mist. It hasn't gotten any darker, but he doubts that's possible, considering that it's been almost pitch black since he'd seen Re-Destro.

"Did you know anything about what Izuku just told us?"

The misty man's words are heavy, loaded with accusation despite his flat, painfully neutral tones.

Sensei sighs, the illusion Quirk he'd used the entire meeting with Re-Destro gone, along with his amused smile.

"One would have to have some kind of positive relationship with another person to know such things."

"Are you saying that your relationship with Izuku isn't positive?" Kurogiri presses, yellow eyes narrowed.

"My relationship with that child is long, complicated, and frankly, none of your business. Whether or not I knew about Izuku's situation doesn't matter anymore, seeing as he managed to escape All Might's grasp." Sensei responds, tone airy as he rests his head on his hand.

The swirling mist flickers and stills, and Kurogiri pauses, eyes narrowing as he stares at Sensei for a long moment, seemingly wondering how much farther he could press the man.

After a long moment, the misty man turns away from his master and towards the other members of the League, none of which have spoken since Izuku had disappeared into the warp gate.

"Is there anything else that I should know about Izuku?" He asks, somewhat accusingly.

Spinner wavers, looking around at the other members with hesitation written all over his features.

"We knew about the Quirkless part. He didn't tell us about—about All Might, but he broke down after our meeting with Overhaul and told us about his childhood." Magne speaks up, clutching her magnet tightly as she avoids Kurogiri's gaze.

"His childhood?" Kurogiri repeats.

"I—"

"Don't." Spinner interjects, hesitation gone as he grabs Magne's forearm. "It's not our place to repeat stuff like that."

The room pressure fluctuates violently, and several people wince, ears popping as Kurogiri's glowing yellow eyes turn into slits. He stares them down, and no one dares say another word, worried about the possibility of being warped into open water—or worse. It's not like they purposefully kept information from Kurogiri, they just...forgot to tell him. Between trying to make Izuku feel more at home and the new tattoo and his disappearance soon after, no one had remembered that Kurogiri hadn't been fully aware of what was going on.

"I should've fucking known." Dabi growls, fists clenched. No fire appears, but the air around him begins to warm as he glares at the floor, shaking with anger.

"Dabi, no one could've known. We all knew things were rough for him, but no one would've thought it would be All Might himself..." Mr. Compress tries to placate Dabi, but trails off, hands tightening around one of his marbles.

"YOU DON'T—" Dabi slams his jaw shut with a click, cutting himself off. Anger burns bright in his turquoise eyes as he whirls around and storms out of the front door, slamming it shut with a resounding BANG !

Silence stretched out again, punctuated by the smell of burned flesh lingering in the air. Late morning sunlight streams through the windows, making the white marble gleam beneath the League's feet.

"...Sensei, why didn't you help him?" Shigaraki asks, the words slipping out before he can stop them.

Why didn't you help him the way you helped me?

Sensei inclines his head towards his ward, as if hearing the unspoken words that linger beneath the question.

"Not everyone needs the same type of help, Tomura. Some need a hand, and others...others need a wake up call." The man pauses for a moment, then a toothy smile grows over his face. "Besides, I think he turned out alright. Much better than a carbon copy of All Might, at least."

Shigaraki stares at his Sensei for a long moment. For once in his life, he feels real, genuine anger towards the man that took him in. He'd all but confirmed knowing about Izuku's situation and doing absolutely nothing about it. Some people need a wake up call? What bullshit. All Izuku needed, all he'd asked for was help, and Sensei...

The white haired man bites his tongue and turns towards Kurogiri.

"What room did you put him in?"

He's not angry at Izuku, but he probably should be. Keeping a secret like this for so long, and then giving a crappy explanation and passing out was certainly worth his annoyance, at the very least. But he can't drudge up any sort of anger towards the boy, not after everything that has happened.

Shigaraki has grown attached to the hero student without realizing it, and now the anger that he's always held towards All Might has been fed, blossoming even larger than before. He'll foster that flame, let it grow in his chest while he lies in wait for the perfect moment to strike at All Might. Once he's done with the man, there will be nothing but blood and ashes to remember him by.

A warp gate opens in front of him, and he nods towards Kurogiri and steps through, ignoring Sensei's eyes on his back.

I'll just have to wait and get some proper answers for myself.

All For One raises his non-existent eyebrows, surprise flickering in his chest. Did Tomura just ignore him?

That's certainly a new development.

The room pressure fluctuates as more portals open around the members of Tomura's League.

"Why don't you all go get some rest? It's been an eventful morning." His tone leaves no room for argument.

Slowly, the room empties out, until only he and Kurogiri remain. Before he can speak to the misty man about Tomura's odd behavior, Kurogiri disappears into his own warp, leaving All For One alone in the bright foyer.

I suppose I can ask once he's calmed down.

Former Student Files A Lawsuit On UA, Alleging Reckless Endangerment Of Minors, Misuse Of Government Funding, Failure To Abide By The Law, And Medical Malpractice!

Former Student Izuku Midoriya Comes Out With Startling Accusations About UA's Treatment Of Its Students

Last Tuesday, it was revealed that one of UA's former first year students Izuku Midoriya(see picture below) filed a lawsuit against UA, claiming...Read More

Gran Torino stares at his former student.

Toshinori shifts under his gaze, head bowed as he fidgets with his baggy green pants, avoiding any sort of eye contact.

The two steaming cups of tea fill the silent air with their aromatic smell, the white clouds slowly dissipating as the clock in the corner ticks away at an almost maddeningly even rhythm.

"Sir...aren't you going to say anything?" Toshinori asks, lifting his head to glance at the older hero before dropping his gaze again, seeming to regret the question.

"What do you want me to say, Toshinori?" He asks, finally reaching for the cup of tea. It warms his hands, soothing the lingering chill that never seemed to leave his hands these days.

The Symbol of Peace flinches, a chill running down his spine at the lack of shouting and insults that usually spewed from the older hero's mouth. He opens his mouth, probably to spew some sort of apologetic nonsense that he's so fond of when he messes up, but quickly closes it when he sees Gran Torino is sipping his tea.

Silence settles over them, and something like hope flickers in Toshinori's eyes as Gran Torino continues to sip the tea intermittently, enjoying the warmth of the water. The flavor was shit, but he didn't expect much from his former student at this point.

"You messed up. But you already know that, at least on some level." Gran Torino continues, calmer than ever before. The hope in Toshinori's eyes dies, and he slumps back into the green couch.

"I know—"

"The blame isn't entirely on you, though. I messed up as well, at least in some areas." He interrupts the Symbol of Peace, the thoughtful look in his eyes turning into something sharp. "However, my misconduct does not excuse your gross neglect of your relationship with your successor. I spent a week with Midoriya during the internships, and as far as I can tell, it takes a massive screw up for the boy to even get angry, much less completely cut his idol off."

The blonde haired man opens his mouth again, but is quickly cut off by Gran Torino's withering glare.

"I wasn't finished." He snaps. "I don't know what went wrong within UA's walls, or where you got the idea that your successor was merely a vessel for Nana's gift to you, but you fucked up. You're out of time, a successor, and a Quirk. One For All is securely with someone who you've completely screwed over, and I doubt he'll be inclined to help you if All For One or his minions ever show up to take your ass out. Nana would be—"

"Don't—" All Might half-pleads, half-shouts, anger and desperation clear in his expression as he lurches forwards, knocking over his cup of tea.

"Nana would be fucking ashamed of you." Gran Tornino finishes, watching as the tea spreads across the table, dripping onto the carpeted floor.

Neither man makes a move to clean it up.

"Hell, she'd be ashamed of me. I shouldn't have listened to your blather about seeing Nana, but I was desperate to see an old friend. Either way, Midoriya probably doesn't trust me anymore, so we have no way of contacting him and making sure he's safe. One For All is out of our hands now—"

"NO!" Toshinori slams his hand on the table, making the knocked over cup roll onto the floor as he descends into a coughing fit.

Gran Torino watches the Symbol of Peace with little sympathy. If he'd followed the doctor's directions, he wouldn't be in the state he is now. But the boy had ignored his body's limits and pushed himself to work longer and longer hours, until he was nothing more than a shell of his former self.

"It's time to let Nana's gift go, Toshinori. Aren't you tired?" He asks, tone a little less gruff than usual.

Toshinori makes no response, hand still resting on the table like he's frozen in time, shocked by a few words. Gran Torino sighs and sets the teacup down, sliding off of the couch he was occupying.

"Think about it, and call me if you need anything."

With that, he leaves his former student in a UA break room and heads back to his house. At this point, there's nothing he can do but atone for his mistakes and leave Midoriya to his own devices. Despite how massively Toshinori screwed up, he doesn't think that fervor in Nine's eyes will die any time soon.

Either way, it's out of my hands now. I might as well leave it alone and let things run their course.

Besides, he has a box of his favorite taiyaki waiting for him in his freezer.

Someone is playing with his hair. The pleasant sensation pulls him out of the haze of sleep, and he sighs, leans into it.

"You awake?"

Tomura.

He hums in acknowledgement, not willing to open his eyes quite yet. His head feels heavy, and there's a persistent dryness at the back of his throat.

"Good. Your explanation of your Quirk was absolute trash. If there were a developer that created that dialouge, I would get their number and hate spam it until they blocked me."

"That's mean." He mumbles into his pillow, not fully comprehending the man's words.

"They'd deserve it."

"He's asking for a better explanation of One For All, kid."

Fifth murmurs in his ear.

Oh. Oh.

His eyes fly open, and he sees Tomura sitting on the edge of the bed he's laying on, his fingers tangled in Izuku's hair and red eyes directly on him despite the poor lighting.

"...Could I get out of fully explaining this if I offer you cuddles?" He tries, sleep still clouding his head.

Tomura's face spasms, but he shakes his head firmly.

"Nope. I'm going to go get everyone, and you're going to give us a better explanation of your Quirk and how you got it so we can decide whether we're hunting down All Might now or later."

Izuku huffs out a laugh that's partially muffled by his pillow, nerves somewhat soothed.

"You're not mad?"

Tomura snorts, lightly running his short nails through the white haired boy's curly hair.

"Nah. At the end of the day, you're Izuku, not his successor. It's just a title. Besides, you're way better than All Might will ever be."

His chest grows tight, and tears prick the corners of his eyes as he presses his face into the pillow below him.

"Thanks, Tomura."

The man lets out a huff, sounding somewhat exasperated by Izuku's reaction to his words.

"I'm just saying the obvious, or however that goes. So stop crying before everyone gets here, otherwise they'll kick my ass."

Kurogiri(The World's Most Present Father Figure)

The fireplace in the corner crackles, filling the kitchen with warmth and rich reddish-orange light. Something on the stove is sizzling, and the methodical chop, chop, chop of a knife blends with the converstion that filters through the partially open doors to the living room.

Izuku drops another piece of wood into the fire with Black Whip, his free hands holding a bowl and measuring cup as he ventures into the pantry. He quickly finds what he's looking for, and begins to carefully measure out rice into the huge bowl. They need a lot to feed everyone, hence the big bowl and the even bigger bag of dry rice.

Nana flickers over his shoulder, bathing the dim pantry in bright yellow light as he scoops the last cup of rice into the bowl. She knows he doesn't really need the light, but she stays anyway, a near constant presence since he'd fully explained One For All and All For One to the League of Villains. It was dark by the time he'd finished explaining everything, and there had been several questions and angry outbursts(mostly from Tomura and Dabi, though at one point, Himiko managed to break the arm of her chair off and nearly dove out the window to go 'have a talk' with All Might).

Eri was blissfully unaware through the entire conversation, having been coaxed into sound-proof headphones and then passing out on his lap half-way through. She's been sleeping and eating more recently, and he's noticed that she's gained about half an inch. A growth spurt, is what Nana suggested, sadness lurking behind her smile as she explained it to him.

He'd smiled back, her sadness saturating his own mood as he researched the best types of foods for kids having growth spurts with Eri snoring lightly beside him.

The white haired boy turns around, cup and bowl in hand as he walks past the roaring fire again and slips behind Kurogiri, who's still cutting the mushrooms, to get to the sink. He's been pretty quiet lately, only popping into Izuku's room to give him a small snack or drink every once in a while. Tonight was the first time Kurogiri has said a full sentence to him in two days, and it was a request to help him prepare dinner.

Of course, Kurogiri has always been on the quieter side, only letting out sighs or long stares when he has to clean up someone else's mess, mostly using his portals as a threat to keep people out of his personal space. But this time, it was different. His silence felt more contemplative, more hesitant, more loaded than the comfortable silence before.

It had to be about One For All. He'd been silent throughout the entire conversation, the only indicators of his mood the fluctuating room pressure and the narrowing of his glowing eyes.

Izuku sighs, setting the bowl in the sink a little harder than he meant to.

It's fine.

He'd given them a lot of information, and most of it was directly tied to Kurogiri's employer. It makes sense that he's being quieter than usual, he's probably just processing everything that Izuku had told them.

Once he does, I'm sure he'll talk to me normally again.

The white haired boy nods to himself, then turns on the sink and starts washing the rice, making sure not to let any of the grains escape with the cloudy water.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself and let us kill All For One already! You promised, remember?"

Sixth snaps at him.

He twitches, annoyance flooding through him as he scowls down at the bowl of rice in the sink. They've been pestering him for days about it, and all it's done is make him wish there was a mute button for One For All(unfortunately, even with the Quirk completely deactivated, their emotions are still there, though fainter than usual—even more unfortunately, murderous intent paired with self-hatred is near impossible to ignore, no matter how faint it is).

I said I'd think about it, asshole.

"And you've had plenty of time to think about it. What's stopping you? Your little 'family'?"

The white haired boy's lip curls at their tone, grip on the bowl tightening.

"Have you forgotten who you are? Have you forgotten what we gave you? We made you this powerful, and we can—"

"Akane, that's enough."

Nana cuts them off, tone sharp and reprimanding.

"I'm not done! He's dragging his feet because he wants to play house with his little villains and ignoring the true purpose of the Holders!"

Sixth shouts, disgust written all over their face.

"There is no true purpose of the Holders, dipshit!"

Fifth shouts back, throwing his hands in the air.

"Yes there is! It's—"

"To be happy."

First's quiet voice immediately silences the other Holders.

"Izuku? Are you alright?"

A misty hand rests on his shoulder, and he looks over to see Kurogiri standing beside him.

How long has he been there?

Izuku releases his white knuckled grip from the bowl, noting the cracks in it with some remorse as he completely shuts off One For All, muffling the stewing emotions to something more manageable.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" He asks, smile tight as he ignores the colors flickering around him, trying to get his attention.

Kurogiri's eyes narrow, but he doesn't respond, hand still on Izuku's shoulder as the misty man studies him for a long moment.

"...You said that the ghosts talk to you, sometimes. Were they talking to you just now?"

The white haired boy looks away with a grimace.

"Unfortunately."

"Did they say something troubling?"

Izuku takes a deep breath, reminding himself that Kurogiri probably just wants to make sure he's okay.

"They're just arguing with me and themselves. A lot. One of them has been bugging me about something recently and they won't leave me alone until I say yes." He sighs, drying his hands on his oversized shirt to avoid Kurogiri's glowing yellow gaze. "It's fine, I'm just tired."

"Why don't you go and rest, then?" Kurogiri asks, grip loosening as he straightens, preparing to make a portal—

"No! No, I—" Izuku clears his throat, embarrassment creeping up on him. "I want to help you. I'm not that tired, anyway."

"Izuku, if you're tired, you should rest. I'm not sure what the side effects of having seven different people in your head are, but putting more strain on yourself than necessary isn't advisable." Kurogiri responds, as firm as ever as mist tickles the white haired boy's feet.

"Kurogiri, please just—" Izuku lurches forwards, wrapping his arms around Kurogiri's waist tightly in an attempt to avoid being swallowed by the mist beneath his feet.

The misty man stiffens beneath his grip, and he swallows hard, guilt clawing its way up his throat. He shouldn't have said anything. He should've pretended it was fine like he always did because then Kurogiri wouldn't have a reason to kick him out of the kitchen.

"Just let me help, please? I want to help." He pleads, not daring to look up as he presses his face into Kurogiri's vest. "I won't get in your way, I promise."

Please don't treat me differently. Please don't ignore me. Please don't leave me.

Cool arms encircle him, and a hand ruffles his hair gently. He stiffens, then relaxes under the touch, anticipation bubbling in his stomach.

"If you really want to help, then you may help. However, please take a break if you get tired. I want you to take care of yourself." Kurogiri's chest rumbles as he speaks, a solid, cool hand gently threading through his hair.

The white haired boy lets out a quiet sigh of relief, leaning further into the hug.

"You've been through a lot more than someone your age should, and I...I'd like for you to be happy, the way children should be. You don't have to do anything you don't want to, not anymore." He says, cool hand steadily combing through the boy's unruly white curls.

Izuku's breath catches in his throat, and tears sting the corners of his eyes as he lets out a choked laugh.

"I want to help." He replies, strained voice muffled by Kurogiri's pristine vest.

"Very well. Why don't you put the rice in the rice cooker and then come and bread the shrimp? I need to finish chopping everything before the bottom of the pan burns."

Despite his brisk tone, neither person moves from the embrace for a long time.