What Do I Owe You?(An Ending, Obviously)
"Yeah, yeah, I know. It's not like this is the thousandth time I've promised you and Shouto that I'm coming." Izuku sighs, rooting around under his bed for a pair of socks he'd accidentally kicked down there. "I'm not even the one that canceled last time! And I already told you I'm bringing Eri, so stop worrying and get back to the dorms. I can hear Iida lecturing Shouto about the off-campus safety rules from here."
"Whatever, just don't be late. Sensei is definitely onto us, he's been giving us the side eye since we made the request to go off campus the first time."
The white haired boy frowns.
"Please don't bring him along. And if anyone follows you, let me know and we'll change our meeting place."
"Nah, no one at UA will bother with us. They've got their hands full with the vultures demanding to know about your lawsuit. They come every single day and crowd around the front gates, some have even camped out there; no one can even leave through the front entrance anymore. Speaking of which, have you seen the news articles?"
"No, not all of them." Izuku replies. Honestly, he's been avoiding that side of the internet as much as possible, because news outlets that report exclusively on heroes are cesspools of tabloid-grade articles riddled with the writer's opinions and thoughts, with only a few decent, non-biased sources to be found.
"Yeah there are a lot of them. Apparently suing one of the most famous hero schools in Asia is kind of a big deal."
Hitoshi says, and Izuku can practically hear the other boy's sarcastic smirk. A smile creeps across his face in response, warm familiarity sitting comfortably in his chest. It's been a while since he's heard Hitoshi's voice. He's missed it.
"Honestly, most of them are trash, but—"
Someone bangs on the door, cutting Hitoshi off.
"Oi, hurry up!" Dabi calls, voice
"I'm coming!" Izuku yells at the door, fingers finally finding the pair of socks he'd been looking for. "Listen, I have to go, but I promise I'm going to be there."
There's a pause, the only sound from the other line is Iida's distant ranting, then a staticky sigh.
"You better be on time, otherwise Shouto will get sad."
The white haired boy's expression softens as he gets to his feet, socks in hand.
"I'll be there." Izuku reassures his friend.
I'll give you answers.
He silently promises the other boy.
"See you."
The line disconnects, and he lunges for the box at the foot of his bed. Kurogiri had practically thrown it at him the moment he'd woken up, the taste of hot chocolate lingering in his mouth and the impression of a carpet on his cheek from the night before. Everyone was rushing out of the living room, and in the hurry, Eri had been stolen from her spot at his side by Himiko—leaving him to scramble upstairs with Kurogiri's thirty minute time limit ringing in his ears.
He doesn't bother looking at the outfit in the box, just grabs the first thing he sees and puts it on. It's a black dress shirt, and the tiny buttons on it are enough to drive him insane. Water drips from his hair as he works, almost growling in frustration as he struggles with the top buttons.
Fuck it.
The white haired boy stops trying to wrestle the top couple buttons into submission, opting to pull on the form-fitting black slacks instead. The socks are next, and he eyes the last three items in the box—a pair of black fingerless gloves, a red suit jacket, and a bow tie—wondering whether or not Kurogiri would notice if he skipped the tie altogether.
After a moment, he decides that it's not worth making the man upset about and pulls the tie on his neck, but doesn't fasten it. He makes quick work of the gloves, and shoves his feet into a pair of shoes before grabbing the suit jacket, pulling it over his shoulders as he walks over to the bathroom mirror.
He smooths down the fabric, then pushes back his still damp hair from his face. It normally didn't take this long for him to get ready, but his hair was a wild, tangled mess from sleeping on the carpet all night.
Static is a bitch.
"You look good, sweetie."
Nana reassures him, a transparent hand patting him on the shoulder as she appears over his right shoulder. Her touch is no heavier than a feather, but it helps him relax a bit.
"He looks like that monster."
Six grumbles from the void, not bothering to pop into reality to insult him.
"Not quite. My brother could never manage this level of..."
First appears beside Nana, contemplatively surveying Izuku. Second appears too, resting their arms on his messy hair with a playful grin.
"Cuteness. Hisayoshi looks boring as hell in suits, and he thinks taking off his tie is a fashion statement."
They smooth back his hair from his forehead, but only manage to free a single, white curl from its confines. It curls across his face, nearly poking him in the eye.
"The one time he wasn't wearing a suit..."
Fifth shudders, clutching his beefy arms with equally beefy hands as he floats directly over them, defying the concept of gravity with his ghostliness. There's a haunted look in his eye, but it's hard to take it seriously when he's floating upside down directly over his head.
"Imagine growing up with him."
First shudders too, a distant, equally haunted look in his eyes. Izuku looks between both of them, eyebrows raised.
"Was it really that bad?"
"It was absolutely horrible. Especially since he bought all of my clothes up until junior high—I met Ko then, and the moment they saw me outside of school uniform they took me shopping and told me never to accept fashion advice from him again."
First replies, and the present Holders collectively shake their heads, sympathy written all over their faces. Second, in particular, looks rather pained at the memories of All For One's apparently terrible fashion decisions.
"I can't even properly describe how awful every single piece of clothing he owned was. After ten years of coming over every other weekend and watching Hisayoshi walk around the house in those cursed pieces of fabric he called clothing, Yoichi and I got high off our asses and decided to burn all of it. We ended up burning the entire block down, but damn, the look on his face was fucking priceless! He never wore anything but suits after that."
Second cackles, and First flushes, turning away as knowing smiles grow on several Holders faces.
They must've told this story before.
"In my defense, you gave me two bottles full of gasoline and told me—and I quote—'go wild'! I was literally tasting colors. How else did you think that was going to go?"
First says, throwing up his hands in exasperation. Second shrugs.
"I dunno."
The white haired man drops his arms, looking somewhere between frustration and resigned amusement as he glares at them. Second grins back, and First huffs exasperatedly, turning away and popping back into the void.
"I'm going to leave without you!" Dabi calls again, sounding annoyed.
"That's our cue!"
Second throws him a thumbs up and a wink before they follow First into the void with a devious grin.
"Bye little dude!"
Fifth calls, disappearing right as his transparent feet start to sink into the bedroom ceiling.
"Good luck, Izuku."
Nana smiles, patting his hair as she fades away, leaving him in the empty bedroom. He stares at the space where they were for a moment, then sighs and walks towards the door, using a tendril of Black Whip to grab his phone off of the bed.
He opens the door and steps out into the hallway, slipping his phone into his pocket as he walks up to Dabi. The burned man leans against the cream colored walls with a bored expression, raising his eyebrow at Izuku.
"Finally. You know we're on a schedule, right?"
The white haired boy closes the door behind himself, giving Dabi a once over; he's wearing a new leather coat with silver stitching, almosing with matching leather boots and new silver earrings. His v-neck white shirt and black leather pants stay, though they look new.
"Are the ghosts bugging you?"
Izuku smiles and slips his hands into his pockets.
"No more than usual. Did Kurogiri give you that stuff?"
"Compress did. Said something about dressing for the occasion before I got warped into my room. It's fireproof and clean, so I'm not complaining." Dabi shrugs as he starts walking down the long hallway.
Izuku follows suit, repressing a laugh at the self-satisfied air that radiates from Dabi as the new coat flares behind him dramatically.
"Hey you guys! Don't come any closer, I want my own dramatic entrance without you schmucks." Twice calls, waving frantically at them as he emerges from his own room. "That's not nice! Who cares?"
He's back in his old grey and black suit, though it looks a lot newer and shinier than the last time he saw it. It smells nicer, too.
"Hey Jin! Your suit looks shinier than usual, did Kurogiri wash it?"
"If he did, he's a miracle worker, because the smell of sweat is literally impossible to get out of spandex. Nah, our costume was ripped to shreds in the fight with knock-off Doctor Doofenshmirtz so it's definitely new. I remember that show, it was hilarious! Oi, dumbass! Don't get mustard on this one, got it? I like how nice it smells! Aye, aye, captain!" Twice salutes himself, then turns to Izuku.
"Are you sure you want to come, kiddo?"
"Are you sure you want to go?" Izuku retorts, resting his hand on the man's wrist.
He already knows the answer to his question, but he can't help trying to convince the man to stay back. He'd seen the look one Twice's face when he'd walked into the conference room, the way he'd stayed deathly silent for the majority of the meeting. Jin has every right to avoid Skeptic and Re-Destro, but he'd insisted on coming, brushing off everyone's concern with several good points that included his newly evolved Quirk—an evolution that came about due to stressful circumstances directly caused by Re-Destro and Skeptic.
"Yes. Yeah, I mean, who knows what those fuckers will try to pull if we're not there?" Twice frowns, pulling away. "We'll be fine, Izuku. Our Quirk is best suited for this mission."
Izuku sighs, recognizing the finality in the man's tone.
"He'll be fine, pipsqueak." Dabi reassures him as a vindictive glint enters his eye, the temperature in the hallway rising. "If those assholes try anything, I'll turn them into charcoal."
It's gone in a flash, and the temperature quickly returns to normal as Dabi turns away, settling back into his usual nonchalance. Izuku smiles at the burned man's retreating back, then looks over at Jin and splays his tattooed arm in front of the man, pulling up the sleeve to display dozens of thread-like tendrils of Black Whip to the blonde man.
Twice's eyes soften, and he returns Izuku's smile with a lopsided grin.
"Thanks for the offer, kiddo. Ew, emotions. Get the fuck away from me with that bullshit already! I want to kick some ass, not talk about our feelings." The blonde man whips his mask out of thin air and pulls it over his head, already striding towards the end of the hallway.
Izuku trails behind, One For All thrumming in his chest as Black Whip curls around his forearms, hidden by his suit jacket.
Ahead, Dabi steps into the Entrance Hall, the late morning sunlight making the silver in his outfit glow as his coat flares out behind him. The taste of plum blossoms in his mouth, and he frowns, wondering if it's because he hasn't had breakfast yet.
"You look very handsome, Dabi. Did Mr. Compress give you your clothes too?" Magne calls from somewhere downstairs, her voice echoing through the massive room.
"Yup." Dabi responds, the taste of plum growing stronger before Twice bounds forwards, nearly knocking the burned man over with a side hug and effectively ruining his cool entrance.
"What about me, what about me? Do I look handsome? You better say yes, this suit makes my ass look fa—There's a child! Right there!" Twice points down the stairs as Dabi slips out of the hug like a lanky, disgruntled cat.
"You look very handsome too, Jin. Is that a new suit?" Magne replies, a smile in her voice.
The burned man sighs and trudges down the stairs, hands in his pockets. Twice strikes a weird pose, flexing his biceps as the sound of Eri's giggling echoes through the room.
Ah, that's where she is.
His lips curve upwards in response to her laughter, and he steps onto the landing, sneaking up on Twice and poking the blonde man's side.
Twice yelps and leaps away from his touch, arms cartwheeling in an attempt to keep his balance. Izuku cackles at his struggle, hopping onto the stair railing and sliding down it with ease. He passes Dabi within seconds and lands on the ground floor gracefully—right in front of Magne and Eri, who stand at the foot of the staircase.
Magne is also wearing new clothes, a thigh-length coral coat with shiny brass buttons and a tan fur collar. Her old sunglasses are gone, replaced by brass-rimmed ones that match the buttons on her coat and the brass knuckles on her left hand.
Kurogiri and Mr. Compress have been working hard.
He grins at them and bows dramatically.
"Showoff." Dabi grumbles under his breath, and Izuku flips him off as Eri starts clapping.
"You look very nice in red, Izuku, but what happened to your tie?" Magne asks, eyeing him as he straightens with a sheepish smile.
"Hitoshi called me and I got distracted, so I didn't have time to look up a tutorial on how to tie bow ties." He winces as Magne gives him a knowing look. "But I do have it on my body!"
Magne sighs and shakes her head as Eri skips up to him, wrapping her arms around his leg with a bright smile.
"Dad! You look so pretty!" She says, red eyes sparkling.
Izuku smiles, reaching down and scooping her up into his arms.
"Thanks Eri! Did you have fun with Auntie Himiko and Auntie Magne?"
"Mhm!" Eri nods enthusiastically. "Auntie Himiko had to go early but Auntie Mags painted my nails, see? Now they match her and Auntie Himiko's!"
"Speaking of Crazy, where is she? I thought she'd be fawning over Eri." Dabi asks, sidling up beside Izuku, peering down at the small hand Eri offers him. "That color matches your eyes."
"She was, but then she got a notification and ran off in the direction of Tomura's room giggling. Hopefully she doesn't cause too much trouble, today is already going to be stressful enough as it is." Magne sighs, planting a brass knuckled hand on her hip.
"Um, I'm pretty sure Jin just went to join Himiko, so they're probably going to cause trouble." Izuku says, watching Jin disappear into the right hallway. He adjusts his grip on Eri as she whispers something about her nail polish into Dabi's ear. "It'll probably be fine. Worst case scenario, they get warped somewhere until it's time to go. You're bringing your magnet, right?"
"Of course. I just left it in the living room so I wouldn't be hauling it around all morning. We should head over there now, I don't want Kurogiri running around and trying to find everyone at the last minute." She says.
"Yeah, that would be—" Izuku stops, ears picking up the sound of distant, hurried footsteps.
He looks up, waiting; and is rewarded when, a few seconds later, Spinner bursts out of the right hallway and onto the landing with a huge grin on his face, pumping his fist in the air. His clothes have been upgraded too, his mismatched clothes and armor replaced with all black underclothes and sleek grey body armor. A red scarf—the only clothing item from his previous outfit—flutters as he lands solidly on the ground, turning and making direct eye contact with Izuku.
Mortification flashes over Spinner's face, and Dabi snorts, a huge smirk on his face. The scaled man looks like he wants to melt into the ground and disappear.
"You look pretty too, Uncle Shu!" Eri cheers, and Izuku smiles with her, the taste of grape filling his mouth.
Spinner straightens, clearing his throat and attempting to look dignified as he calmly walks down the stairs while Dabi coughs into his fist.
"Very pretty." The burned man agrees, a teasing glint in his eye.
Izuku smiles as Spinner shoots Dabi an embarrassed glare, then gives Eri an awkward smile.
"Thank you, Eri. You look pretty today too."
Eri returns it, and he feels his heart melt into a puddle on the floor.
"She's so cute, I just—"
Nana makes a strangled noise instead of finishing her sentence, eyes gleaming as she makes grabbing motions from the void. His eyebrows raise as the intense urge to squish Eri's cheeks washes over him.
Really?
"Her cheeks look very squishable."
Fourth mutters, sounding somewhat distressed at how cute Eri is.
Some murderous ghosts you are.
Izuku shakes his head, ignoring the Holder's urges and ruffling Eri's hair instead.
"Please stop staring at me." Izuku sighs irritably.
All hopes of relaxation had been dashed the moment he'd entered the living room and saw All For One lurking in a shadowy corner with Azuki on his lap. He'd picked out a couch far away from the man and pretended not to notice him—but the feeling of All For One's intense stare was more than enough to set One For All off, and now the sounds of various curses and death threats fill his mind instead of quiet calm.
"I don't have eyes, child."
Izuku gives the man a look.
"You and I both know that doesn't stop you from staring. And I'm asking you to stop. It's too early for me to hear about how many different ways the Holders want to murder you." He responds, ignoring the urge to jump off of the couch and wrap his hands around the two hundred year old man's throat.
"Even staring provokes them, hm? They're even more short tempered than I remember."
"Aren't you the one who used to force people into comas because they undercooked your eggs?"
Second asks, appearing in the corner of Izuku's eye to glare at All For One. He doesn't bother forcing them back into the void, just sighs and continues to braid Eri's hair as she gently pats the kitten in his lap. It had taken a while for the kitten to get comfortable around Eri, but Jiji had eventually decided that the little girl's chest scratches weren't half-bad.
"Oh, it's you. Aren't you tired of arguing with me to gain my brother's affection?" All For One asks smugly, making Second's anger flare.
Honestly, he doesn't care about their argument. All of the Holders are free to argue as much as they want with All For One if it means he can sleep peacefully and he's left out of it as much as possible.
"Ha! Yoichi already likes me better, asshole! I'm arguing with you because you're a murderous bastard that makes shitty life descions. Yoichi made better life choices in twenty-six years than you have in two hundred."
"Noted." All For One responds boredly, idly petting the cat in his lap.
Second scowls at the man's answer and disappears back into the void, muttering something about concrete shoes and hammer pants with leg warmers.
"So, Izuku—"
The white haired boy stops what he's doing, firmly closing his eyes as Jiji starts kneading at his thigh.
"I don't want to talk to you right now."
"Don't be like that." All For One says coaxingly, amusement coloring his tone.
Izuku yawns, ignoring the old man in favor of leaning back into the arm of the couch, starting to braid Eri's hair again. He thinks he's starting to get pretty good at it.
Hisayoshi sighs disappointedly and leans back in his wheelchair, boredom replacing amusement.
Thank god.
"We've been waiting here forever!" Spinner groans, the scraping sound of his katana being sheathed and unsheathed filling the silence. "Where the hell is everyone?"
"They're making Tomura 'respectable', as Kurogiri put it." All For One responds, boredom saturating his voice.
"The day I see Crusty look presentable is the day hell freezes over." Dabi snorts.
"Then hell will freeze over, at least if Kurogiri and Compress have anything to say about it." Magne responds, fingers tracing over the ridges of her magnet.
"Good luck to them, I guess." Spinner says, shaking his head.
The conversation trails off, and silence settles over them. All For One is staring at him again with uncomfortable intensity. He doesn't bother asking him to stop this time, just ignores the man, focusing on braiding and unbraiding Eri's hair and trying to forget what he's about to do.
Izuku's skin prickles as the room's pressure fluctuates, and he looks up to see two midnight purple portals swirl into existence—one by the kitchen doors, and one just underneath the ceiling light they never use. Three people drop through the overhead portal, landing on the floor with various sounds of discomfort and annoyance.
"—off me you fuckers, I'll kill you all." A familiar voice hisses from beneath Twice and a well-dressed Himiko.
They both scramble to their feet in record time, darting to opposite sides of the room with stifled giggles and shit-eating grins.
He watches as someone who vaguely resembles Tomura leaps to his feet, hissing curses at the second portal as Mr. Compress steps through in a brand new, squash colored coat and brown top hat with a jaunty yellow feather.
"That was fucking stupid. This is fucking stupid." Tomura hisses, yanking at the white fur collar of the red coat sitting perfectly on his shoulders as he glares venomously at the performer.
Izuku studies the man, noting his tamer white hair, the spotless black suit and tie, and then the ratty red sneakers on his feet.
Yeah, that's definitely Tomura.
How he managed to keep those with the outfit was a mystery to Izuku.
"Yes, yes, Tomura. I'm sure you'll become accustomed to it in no time. Remember, dressing nicely—"
"—is a good quality to have as a leader. I will not allow you to go to an event like this in anything but formal wear." Kurogiri steps through the portal, finishing Mr. Compress' sentence.
The masked performer nods at the misty man, and Kurogiri's hand brushes his shoulder before walking past Tomura, who'd started cursing very colorfully, agitatedly rubbing his neck as he glares down at his clothes. Kurogiri ignores the rant, walking up to Izuku and Eri.
Izuku gets to his feet, Eri clutching his red suit jacket tightly in her small hands as Jiji leaps off of his lap and onto the couch with a disgruntled 'meow'.
"It's okay, Eri. I'm only going to be gone for an hour or two, and then I'll come back and we'll go see Hitoshi and Shouto, alright?" Izuku gives Eri a reassuring smile, rubbing her back soothingly. "Remember, you have my gloves."
Eri hesitates, looking down at the red gloves that peek out of her dress pocket before looking back up at him and nodding.
Kurogiri reaches out, and Izuku gives his daughter a tight hug before handing her to the misty man. Eri looks back at him, reluctance written all over her face as she holds onto Kurogiri's lapels. The misty man seems to sense her hesitation, and holds her closer, patting her hand.
"Don't worry, she'll be safe with me. I'll make sure to prepare her some breakfast, too. Growing children need to eat a lot." Kurogiri says, then pauses, mist flickering for a moment as he looks at Izuku. "...You be safe too. And come back in one piece this time. I will not see you in the same state you were after Deika ever again, healing Quirk or not."
The white haired boy's smile falters, guilt flashing through his eyes as he remembers Kurogiri's reaction to seeing him when he first woke up.
"I'll be fine." Izuku reassures him, eyes flicking to Tomura, who's trying to escape Mr. Compress' attempts at fluffing up his fur collar as Himiko and Twice laugh at them. A smile creeps across his face at the sight. "Besides, we have you and All For One on standby."
Kurogiri, predictably, relaxes at the name drop, and Izuku's face softens as he reaches out with a gloved hand, tucking a strand of silvery-white hair behind her ear.
"Be good for Kurogiri?"
The girl nods.
Out of the corner of his eye, Izuku sees Mr. Compress moving towards them, and he turns to face the performer, noting that one of the man's gloves is missing—probably disintegrated in his attempts to make Tomura more presentable.
"Here." Mr. Compress says, pressing something into his hands.
Izuku looks down, eyes widening when he realizes it's one of Mr. Compress' trademark black and white masks, similar to the one he's wearing now. He looks back up at the man, confused.
"We can't have everyone seeing your face, now can we?"
His eyes widen, and he looks back down at it, noticing that it's smaller than the ones that Mr. Compress usually wears.
"...Thank you." Izuku says, throat tight as he puts it on.
"No need to thank me! You look splendid." Mr. Compress ruffles his hair, tone warm.
"ALRIGHT!" Tomura's shout makes Izuku twitch, but the room quiets down instantly. "Does everyone have their shit?"
"Yeah." Spinner replies, already on his feet and raring to go.
"I've been ready for hours." Dabi gets to his feet, hands in his pockets.
"I'm so ready!" Himiko cheers, a glint of metal flashing from inside her sleeves.
"Let's kick their asses! Let's break Skeptic's teeth!"
"Of course." Magne grins, showing off a silver capped molar.
Izuku's skin prickles as another, larger portal opens up. Kurogiri steps back, and Mr. Compress reaches out and gives his shoulder a quick squeeze before turning to the portal. It practically glows, its center oddly light compared to Kurogiri's normal portals, casting the living room in otherworldly purple light. It glows and swirls, purple light shining down on the League, their expressions ranging from pensive to excited.
In that moment, Izuku realizes that he'll never regret his decision. It might be hard, and he'll be labeled a traitor if the world ever finds out how deep his relationship with the League is, but for the first time in his life, he feels like he can breathe.
I'm free.
A grin breaks across his masked face, and he steps towards the portal confidently.
"I'm ready."
"Ugh, this fucking tie is a pain in the ass." Tomura grumbles, tugging at the piece of fabric on his neck.
"Tomura, don't take that off. It took Kurogiri over twenty minutes just to get that on you." Mr. Compress responds, perfectly poised on a stool he'd unmarbled a while ago.
"It's literally choking me!" Tomura gripes, tugging at it a little harder.
"Tomura." Mr. Compress warns.
Tomura scowls, but drops his hand and glares at Himiko, who giggles at his misfortune. Twice tries to hide his laugh behind a strangled cough, but Dabi doesn't even bother hiding his smirk, ignoring Tomura's death glare from behind the hand on his face(the only one that had survived his fight with Re-Destro). Spinner looks sympathetic, rubbing his own neck underneath his scarf, and Magne ignores them, reapplying her lipstick for the twentieth time since they'd been guided to this dimly lit hallway by a sullen Geten.
All For One—illusion Quirk activated—is sitting near the wall on the side of the hallway they'd come from, nearly hidden in shadow. His ever present smile is gone, his chin resting on his hand and looking...thoughtful? It's hard to tell, since he doesn't have any defining facial features aside from his mouth.
Izuku takes a deep breath, forcing himself to ignore the anxiety coursing through his veins as he stares down at the thin stream of light coming from the massive double doors at the end of the hall. The low rumble of the crowd echoes through the hallway, thousands of indistinguishable voices a faint mimicry of the power that lies beneath his skin.
Re-Destro and the Lieutenants have yet to show up, and judging by the climbing volume of the crowd, they're growing restless.
Focus.
He exhales slowly, pressing a steadying hand to his chest.
There are no cameras in this entire base, a stark contrast to the massive surveillance system of Dekia City. Still, the base's complicated, multi-layered structure is a security system in its own right—for literally anyone else. With One For All and All For One, it would be laughably easy to tear this entire building apart with a flick of his fingers. It would be just as easy to leave, and his hand traces the edges of his phone in his pocket, purple mist swirling around his fingertips.
He dismisses Kurogiri's Quirk as soon as it rises. He can't leave now. He has an important part to play, one that will make sure the Meta Liberation Army receive their dues.
"Kiddo, you're doing the flashing thing again. Ah! My eyes!" Twice's voice snaps him out of his thoughts.
"Ah, sorry. I didn't realize..." He trails off, focusing on taking a deep breath and pressing down his anxiety. The colors flashing around him slowly fade, and he releases his grip on his phone.
"It's fine, just remember to save some of that for the main event." Dabi shrugs, eyes closed as he leans against a wall. He doubts that the burned man is actually resting, though.
Izuku nods, then stiffens at the sound of approaching footsteps. His hand drifts back down to his pocket, eyes fixed on the dark part of the hallway. All For One, who's closest to the sound, twitches almost imperceptably, but doesn't turn around.
As the noise grows louder and more distinct, the League grows tense. Hands drift towards weapons, and the marble Mr. Compress was playing with disappears into his sleeve right as Re-Destro and his Lieutenants emerge from the shadows, heads lowered in deference.
"I apologize for the wait, League Of Villains."
From the corner of his eye, Izuku watches Tomura straighten, red eyes narrowed in displeasure behind the hand on his face.
"It won't happen again." The 'or else' is clear.
"Of course. If the Bishop and Shigaraki follow me, I will present you to your followers." Re-Destro responds obediently, head still lowered.
He glances over at the rest of the League, then back at the four Lieutenants, who have yet to raise their gazes from the ground.
It's fine. They know how to handle themselves.
And if they can't...
His eyes flick to All For One. Re-Destro had only asked him and Tomura to come along, which means that All For One is staying behind. As little trust as he has in the supervillain, he knows that All For One is more than capable of dealing with any threat that might arise.
"I'll keep an eye on them."
Third murmurs in his ear, and he feels a phantom hand ruffle his hair.
Thank you.
"Let's go." Tomura says, voice cool and neutral.
Izuku's stomach churns as Re-Destro steps forwards with a nervous smile, eyes darting towards him for some sign of approval. He grits his teeth, but inclines his head. The man brightens, straightening and striding past him, shooting him a quick, expectant look over his shoulder. He turns around just as quickly when Izuku shoots him a cold look, but reluctantly follows him.
Tomura joins him, falling into step with Izuku. His bare fingers brush Izuku's hand, and he hooks their pinkies together—a silent show of support. They slow to a halt as Re-Destro stops before the double doors, a hand on each door. Black mist swirls around his arms as he strains against the door, his tailored suit straining against his shoulders.
Creeeeeeaaaaaaaak.
Slowly, the double doors swing open, and a rush of sound and light flood Izuku's senses, almost overwhelming him. Almost. Thankfully, the point of contact between him and Tomura keeps him grounded, and he exhales quietly, letting the familiar, cold calm wash over him.
I can do this.
Tomura releases his pinkie, seeming to sense his mood switch as Re-Destro continues forwards, guiding them across the raised dais. He follows the orange haired man, head held high as more and more of the crowd come into view, thousands of eyes focusing on him and Tomura. The din grows louder, and Izuku silently thanks Mr. Compress for the mask again as they approach the lone, throne-like chair at the center of the dais. No, it is a throne.
Though he cringes internally at it, he's entirely unsurprised by its presence.
The basis of the Meta Liberation Army and Re-Destro's beliefs are in the old saying 'survival of the fittest', the fittesting being those with 'powerful' Quirks and the rest being nothing more than cannon fodder for those with power to rule over. Displays of that power are everywhere, from the lone tower that had stood at the center of Deika to the doors that Re-Destro had used his Quirk to open to the very dais they're standing on.
Izuku looks at Tomura, and they exchange a look through their respective face coverings as Re-Destro stands beside the throne, watching them with an expectant gleam in his beady black eyes.
Tomura sees the look in Re-Destro's eyes too, and grins wide enough to peek out from behind the hand on his face, eyes alight with glee as he walks up to the throne and plops down with zero hesitation. Izuku grins too, resisting the urge to cackle at the surprise and offense on Re-Destro's face as he walks forwards and perches on the armrest of the throne.
As if on command, the crowd goes quiet. Thousands of eyes stare up at him, but Izuku isn't scared. He's used to his every move being watched by now, and this is nothing compared to UA and Nezu.
Re-Destro hesitates, gaze flicking between them—until Izuku tilts his head, staring the man down as if daring him to say anything. The orange haired man pales and quickly turns towards the crowd, a pleasant smile forming on his face despite the sweat trickling down his neck.
"LIBERATION WARRIORS!" He roars abruptly, completely silencing any remaining noises from the crowd with the feedback from the microphone secured on his ear. "THE DAY HAS COME FOR THE META LIBERATION ARMY TO BE REBORN!"
He's really fucking loud.
"This world is full of ignorant people who cripple themselves in order to fulfill society's expectations of them. We are the lucky few who know true Liberation, who don't bend to society's whims until we break. We have created a safe haven away from those expectations, one where we are free to use our meta-abilities when we please, as is our birthright."
The crowd roars in approval of Re-Destro's words, their cheers echoing through the massive room and making Izuku wince at the sheer volume, wishing he was back in the dark hallway with the rest of the League.
"BUT!" Re-Destro's voice manages to carry over the crowd, and they quiet down. "I fear that we've become too complicit within our haven. We haven't been considerate of our brethren who haven't been freed yet, and that is entirely the fault of my shortcomings. I've often spoken of my wish for those who haven't realized their shackles to be free, but I cannot do that on my own. So, I've enlisted the help of another organization—a group of people that have proven to be truly free, the League Of Villains!"
The rumbling of the crowd grows louder as Re-Destro grins, a manic look in his eyes as he spreads his arms wide.
"FROM THIS MOMENT ON, THE LEAGUE OF VILLAINS WILL REALIZE OUR DREAM AND LEAD US IN LIBERATION OF MANKIND! AS SUCH, THE META LIBERATION ARMY RECOGNIZES TOMURA SHIGARAKI AS ITS GRAND COMMANDER, AND THE ONE THAT WILL GUIDE OUR GLORIOUS REBIRTH FROM THE ASHES INTO TRUE LIBERATION, AS WARRIORS THAT FIGHT IN THE NAME OF LIBERATION FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST OURSELVES!"
The cavernous room shakes as the crowd becomes deafening, thoroughly riled up by Re-Destro's speech. Behind them, the rest of the League and the four Lieutenants walk through the double doors, lining up behind the throne.
Third's hand brushes against the back of his neck, and he glances over his shoulder, noting All For One using some sort of shadow-based Quirk to linger in the shadowy doorway, a smug smirk on his face. The only thing that's missing is Azuki or Jiji. Unfortunately, neither were invited on the journey, and he doubts the supervillain wants people to know about his habit of buying immortal cats with obscene amounts of money.
"I PRESENT TO YOU OUR NEW GRAND COMMANDER, TOMURA SHIGARAKI!" Re-Destro bellows over the crowd, turning and giving Izuku and Tomura a half-bow before taking a couple of steps back, giving them the stage.
He's still a couple feet away from the throne, just slightly behind it, his eyes alight with frenzy despite the sedate smile on his face. It's more than a little off-putting, and Izuku kind of wishes he would move further away, but he isn't going to interrupt Tomura's moment.
"I'm shit with speeches, so I'll keep this short."
Izuku grins as he practically hears Mr. Compress' exasperation, the faintest taste of grapefruit on his tongue.
"He looks like he wants to smack your friend over the head."
Third whispers, obviously amused at the performer's exasperation. He presses his lips together, resisting the urge to laugh at Mr. Compress' distress as the crowd rumbles below them, surprised by Tomura's bluntness.
"You can keep your name, you can keep your chain of command, hell, you can keep your Grand Commander title. It's just a decoration. Just think of this as being under new management. Your daily lives won't change, and you're free to do whatever you want. That's what 'liberation' means to me." Tomura tacks the last part on as an afterthought.
There's an immediate uproar, the sound bouncing off the cave-like walls as the crowd screams at the occupants of the dais. Tomura waves at Re-Destro, signaling that he's done talking. The man immediately steps forwards, smiling down at the crowd with a smile that could be mistaken as kind if not for the glint of mania in his black eyes.
"Our Grand Commander has spoken! Fear not, he is simply one who doesn't concern himself with names or titles. He is no less passionate about our cause, and simply wanted to reassure you that you won't have any restrictions placed on your hard earned freedoms!"
Once again, the crowd's mood is altered, and their grumbles and enraged screams subside as Re-Destro smiles placatingly.
"I'm sure there are those of you that hold uncertainty in your hearts. I understand. Rebirth does not come without challenges, even for the noblest of causes. However, the League Of Villains have proved themselves to be truly Liberated through their champion, the Bishop, who defeated me in battle over a month ago!"
Re-Destro gestures towards Izuku grandly, and the feeling of thousands of eyes focusing on him at once makes his skin prickle uncomfortably.
Seriously?
Spinner had warned them that something like this would happen, but this is ridiculous. Re-Destro just gave the Grand Commander title to Tomura. Not that Tomura accepted it. That being said, the former Grand Commander pointing him out only confirms his theory about the inner workings of the Meta Liberation Army, one that had been brewing since he'd caught the tail end of Geten's rant while he fought Dabi.
The strong are respected, and the rest are mere subjects to their whims. It's a dangerously unbalanced power dynamic, one that promotes deeply rooted prejudices and Quirk Supremacy. It also explains Re-Destro's negative reaction to Izuku refusing the Grand Commander title, and him pointing Izuku out now. He might be giving Tomura the title, but he wants his army to know who he thinks has the power.
How disgusting.
Izuku leans back on the throne, one foot planted near Tomura's thigh and the other planted firmly on the ground. He doesn't flinch or show discomfort at the attention, just stares the crowd down unwaveringly.
Tomura rests a protective hand on his knee, and Dabi appears beside him, heat radiating from his body as he acts like a barrier between Izuku and Re-Destro.
The white haired boy's gaze flicks to Re-Destro, who seems to realize he's made a mistake. He can feel the League's hostility as they glare at the cult leader, watching the man start to sweat profusely as his eyes dart from Dabi and Tomura to the rest of the League behind the throne, then focus on him.
"You gonna finish that speech of yours?" Dabi asks, hands still in his pockets as he glares at the older man, the temperature around them slowly rising.
It's weird. They both know he could level this building on a whim, and yet they're still trying to protect him from someone that's more of a threat to them than him.
"It's because they care about you, sweetie."
Nana sighs.
Re-Destro adjusts the watch on his wrist and straightens with less confidence before, eyes lingering on Izuku before he turns back to the crowd.
"BUT IT WAS NOT ONLY THE BISHOP WHO PROVED HIMSELF TO BE ONE OF THE TRULY LIBERATED!" Re-Destro shouts, voice wavering slightly as sweat trickles down his neck. "Every member of the League of Villains proved that they strive for true Liberation, just like you and I! And with their determination and drive, they will guide us through our rebirth, and into a new age of Liberation! ALL HAIL THE GRAND COMMANDER!"
Earsplitting screams echoing Re-Destro's impassioned speech echo through the huge room, and the crowd below them gets even louder as Re-Destro turns to the throne and kneels, head bowed. Slowly, the crowd follows his lead, thousands of people dropping to their knees for Tomura—and him.
They kneel before him, heads bowed low. They don't dare look up, some out of fear, others out of sheer reverence. Why wouldn't they revere him? He is their savior, their light in the darkest pits of despair, their messiah.
They cry out his name until their voices are ragged, begging for his help as they throw themselves at his feet, offering anything in exchange for his services. They allow him to take and take and take until he's consumed by his own urges, drunk on power and ecstasy as he rules over Japan from the shadows with the guise of a kind smile and helping hand. The moment submit himself to them, the kind smile turns into the toothy grin of a predator catching its prey.
Japan's savior becomes Japan's nightmare, and his kind smile fades into a toothy grin that never leaves his face as he takes and takes and takes, reveling in his own grief and anger as the chorus of screams and broken bodies follow his path.
They won't easily forget the name—
All For One.
Every hair on Izuku's body stands straight up as he's jerked back into reality by Dabi tapping him on the arm. He looks up at the burned man, who subtly gestures down. Izuku looks down, then realizes Dabi was gesturing at his phone.
The white haired boy pats the man's arm in thanks, pulling out his phone and checking it.
caffeineandcats: we"re oFf UA grounds and A bulLet tRain
caffeineandcats: ETA 30 mintEs
Sent 22 Minutes Ago
Izuku's eyes widen.
Shit.
"What's wrong?" Tomura asks, voice low as his grip on Izuku's knee tightens. He internally curses himself for putting his phone on silent as his eyes flick to Re-Destro, who's still kneeling with his head bowed.
"I need to go. Is everything going to be okay?" He whispers back, looking at the kneeling man warily, then out at the kneeling crowd even more warily.
"We'll be fine." Dabi says, voice low as he scans the crowd. "We've got Crusty's boss and Kurogiri, if it comes to a fight, it'll be fairer than last time."
Izuku resists the urge to tell the burned man that any sort of interference from All For One would turn the fight into a massacre, instead looking back to Tomura. After a moment, the man sighs and releases his hold on Izuku's knee.
"Yeah, yeah. Go see those hero brats. Eri's been talking about it nonstop for the past week." Tomura grumbles, barely audible. "Don't get caught, got it? The next time those heroes try to 'rescue' you, they're getting their agencies dusted."
"I doubt they want me anymore." Izuku says, a smile spreading across his face. "And even if they did, I doubt they could catch me. But feel free to come to my rescue if they manage it."
"Whatever, brat." Tomura rolls his eyes. "Aren't you supposed to be gone by now? You're going to be late."
"Call me if you need anything." He responds, then activates Stealth.
Static calm washes over him, and One For All hums in his chest as he slips off of the arm of the throne and across the dais, past the Lieutenants and the League, then past All For One and through the double doors. He looks back one last time, silently wishing them luck before he melts into the darkness of the hallway.
bush: On my way!
Izuku skids into the shady alleyway somewhat breathlessly, Eri in his arms as he barely avoids running into a trash can. He barely looks at his surroundings, eyes on his phone as he checks the map.
He nearly curses out loud when he realizes they're a solid thirty blocks away from the cafe they're supposed to be at in less than two minutes. The meeting place is a busy city in the Tokyo Prefecture, home to dozens of heroes on the prowl for their shot at fame, and Kurogiri didn't want to take any chances, so he'd warped them to a secluded residential area.
Why, oh why did he turn his notifications off? The boy silently bemoans his stupidity as he speedwalks towards the end of the alleyway.
"You know what this calls for?"
Second asks him.
"Don't you dare."
Fourth warns them.
"Vigilantism!"
Second doesn't even hesitate.
"Oh my god!"
He can practically hear Fourth smacking his forehead.
"What? He's already done one illegal thing today, why not one more?"
"Technically, that wasn't illegal." He says to the empty air.
"Izuku, sweetie, conspiracy is a crime."
Nana tells him.
"...Oh."
He thinks about it for a minute.
"What kind of vigilantism?"
"Public Quirk Usage."
Second replies.
Izuku frowns.
"That's not vigilantism, that's committing a crime. But for the sake of time and not disappointing my friends, I'm going to take your advice anyway."
"Dad, are you talking to the ghosts?" Eri asks him, red eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Yes, and they just gave me a nice suggestion about how to get to Shouto and Hitoshi super fast. Hold on tight, okay?" He says, already mapping his path up the walls and calculating how much force to use so he won't cause property damage.
"Make sure to hold onto her head so she doesn't get whiplash!"
Nana warns him. He complies, placing his hand firmly on the back of Eri's hand and pressing her close to his chest.
"This is hell. It has to be."
Fourth mutters.
"3,2,1, TAKE OFF!"
Fifth screams from the void.
Izuku ignores it all, focusing on the hum of One For All through his veins. Green lightning crackles around his body, and he activates Stealth again, the static calm washing through him for the second time today. He exhales, then jumps, bouncing off of the walls and shooting into the air before landing on the roof of an apartement complex with a solid THUD.
The sound makes him grin, and he's off again, legs pumping as he leaps off of the edge of the roof and onto another, and another, and another, until he's flying from roof to roof, climbing higher and higher as he leaves the neighborhood behind. Wind whips through his curls as he soars through the air, using a combination of Black Whip and Float to climb higher, lightning crackling around him and static filling him.
"The cafe's down there! Don't use that alleyway, it's got people in it, use the next one over."
Second advises him, their light floating around his head as he slows his leap down with Float, landing gently on the roof. He peeks over into the alleyway they'd guided him to, checking for security cameras. Finding none, he steps off the edge of the roof and activates Float again, slowing their fall at the last minute.
His feet touch the concrete, and he deactivates One For All fully, releasing his firm hold on Eri's head.
"Are you okay?" He asks. She'd been silent that entire time, her arms tight around his neck as they soared through the air. She hadn't gotten hurt, had she? He would never forgive himself if he'd hurt her—
The little girl looks up at him, looking slightly dazed and windswept before her lips curl up into a grin.
"That was so cool!" She exclaims, red eyes sparkling as she releases her grip on his red suit jacket.
Thank god.
"I'm glad you liked it, honey."Izuku smiles back, more than a little relieved.
He'd used Float with her in his arms before, but he'd never gone at those speeds, and he was worried about how she'd handle it. He reaches out and fixes her scarf which had almost come undone from their flight as he heads for the entrance of the alleyway.
"Maybe if you remind me, we can do it again some other time." He offers, stepping out onto the busy sidewalk.
"Really?" Eri asks, her smile getting even bigger.
"Really." He assures her, slipping through the crowd with his eyes fixed on a light blue sign that reads 'Furusakaru Cafe' near the end of the block. It's a small, unassuming cafe in between two office buildings. Secluded and private. Shouto had sent him the link for the cafe, citing that it was far enough from UA that he wouldn't be harassed and it was popular enough that they'd be completely unnoticed if they went in during the rush.
Now Izuku stands in front of the cafe with Eri in his arms, debatin whether or not he should go in. It looks pretty crowded in there, and he can't see any signs of Hitoshi or Shouto anywhere. He frowns, giving the sidewalk on either side of the cafe a quick once over, checking for any sign of the other boys.
Maybe they're late?
His phone buzzes.
Izuku pulls it out and checks it.
caffeineandcats: [Image: A white haired boy with windswept curls looking to the side, holding a white haired girl in a puffy green coat and red boots.]
caffeineandcats: comE heEre
Izuku finds Hitoshi and Shouto at a round table next to one of the tall storefront windows. Afternoon sunlight streams down on them, making Shouto's white hair glow. Neither boy notices him as he moves closer, their wooden chairs pushed close together as they sip their drinks and scroll through their phones.
Shouto's hair is longer than when Izuku last saw him, shading his eyes instead of resting over his eyebrows. Similarly, Hitoshi's eyebags are a little deeper, more prominent on his face.
"Hitoshi! Shouto!" Eri cries, wiggling out of his arms and rushing for the nearest boy—Shouto, who startles as Eri barrels into him and gives him a side hug, then relaxes into it.
Hitoshi looks up from his drink, giving Izuku a once over before raising a single brow. He looks down, realizes he's still in the suit from this morning, and flushes, immediately pulling off the red suit jacket and folding it neatly over the back of the empty chair across from the two boys.
"Um," Izuku falters, then stops when he sees Hitoshi's unimpressed stare.
"You owe us an explanation." Hitoshi gets straight to the point, setting his drink on the table.
Fresh guilt creeps into Izuku's chest. An explanation is the least that Hitoshi and Shouto are owed, but they deserve so much more than just that.
"I do." Izuku agrees, pulling the chair out and sitting down.
"So?" Hitoshi asks, expectant.
The white haired boy opens his mouth, then closes it. How does he explain Tomura? How does he explain the League, his connection to them? How does he describe the feeling of Nezu's eyes on him, picking and prying him apart for amusement? How does he explain the Holders and their Quirks? How does he explain the sleepless nights he spent, dread growing in the pit of his stomach as he researched each Holder's life and death with their tortured screams echoing through his mind? How does he describe the feeling of every adult he was supposed to trust and rely on completely and utterly failing him in every way?
"I just...I don't even know where to start." Izuku smiles humorlessly, avoiding Hitoshi's expecant gaze as anxiety grips his chest.
A rough hand appears, setting an ice sculpture of a pen on the table. It rolls towards him, already starting to melt from the warmth of the busy cafe.
"Start from the beginning." Shouto says, meeting Izuku's green eyes steadily.
"The beginning..." Izuku trails off, white curls glowing in the sunlight as he picks up the ice pen with scarred, slightly crooked fingers. It gleams in his hand, a drop of water sliding off of it and splashing on the table. He smiles. "Yeah. I can do that."