Good morning everyone! Welcome back to Know It's a Lie! Thank you for all of the positive feedback so far. I look forward to hearing from you in the future!

Trigger Warnings: Brief suicidal thoughts and panic attacks

"How did any of… of this happen? How on Earth did Izuku get involved with the League of Villains to begin with?"

"Yeah, I guess that's as good a place to start as any. I don't know how Mido came to their attention-I'm not even sure if he himself knows-but as I understand it, Mido first came into contact with the League of Villains around three and a half years ago, when he was approached by their leader, a nasty piece of work called All for One…"

.oOo.

From the moment the swirl of purple-black smoke appeared in front of him in the tunnel of the underpass, Izuku sensed that something was wrong. The fact that the man stepping out of it was missing the upper half of his face was just icing on the cake. Stupid though it probably was, Izuku's first instinct was to freeze. He probably could have-should have-screamed. He hadn't gotten that far; All Might may even be able to hear him. Not that it would matter, considering the state of his health, Izuku thought dully. Don't think about that.

Of course, it wasn't like this stranger had done anything villainous, even if his smile, stretched by non-existent lips over bared teeth behind some sort of respirator, was the creepiest thing he'd seen outside of a horror movie. He really had nothing to base his assumption on except his appearance, and he knew from experience just how damaging prejudices could be. Who knew, maybe the unfortunate man had just been caught up in a villain attack and terribly injured at some point in the past? Honestly, what were the odds that he had seriously just appeared in front of Izuku of all people intending to cause trouble?

Trying to force away his shivers even though it was impossible for the man to see him, Izuku mumbled an apology and began to step around him.

"What's the matter, my boy? You seem to be quite… put out," the man asked softly.

For a moment, Izuku simply stared at the man, then cast his gaze around the tunnel, but, nope, he was the only other person he could be talking to. "Oh… Ah…" the boy stuttered. "I-It's really nothing."

"Come now," the man murmured gently, his tone urging him to open up, to confide in him, stranger though he may be. "Forgive me for saying so," he continued, "but you don't strike me as the type to cry without reason."

"You'd… You'd be surprised," Izuku mumbled evasively, not wanting to burden this stranger with his problems as his thoughts turned to all the times he'd burst into tears when his mom had made him katsudon after a hard day. He may not have told her the extent of the bullying he had to go through at school, but she always had a sixth sense for when things got especially bad. He wondered if maybe she'd make katsudon for him tonight-

"Who told you that?"

"H-Huh?" the boy blinked, yanked out of his thoughts.

"Who told you that your tears fall without reason?" the man clarified. "That they're meaningless?"

"I… W-Well… Um…" Izuku paused. When was the first time he'd heard that? He'd been teased for being a crybaby his whole life, told that it wasn't very heroic to cry, that it just proved he was too weak. That he was worthless.

That he should go take a swan dive off the roof.

Kacchan didn't mean that, Izuku thought fiercely. He didn't. He's never said anything like that to me before.

But, a darker voice whispered in the back of his mind, he's never stopped the other kids from saying it, either.

He didn't know! They'd never said it in front of him-

"I see. Oh you poor, poor child," the man sighed, his voice rattling strangely through his respirator, drawing Izuku's attention once again as he bent down on one knee to be at eye level with him-if he'd still had eyes to be level with his, that is. "This world has not been kind to you, has it."

'It's not a bad thing to have dreams, young man. Just… try to make sure they're attainable.'

The tears crept back to Izuku's eyes unbidden.

Darn it, he was not going to cry in front of a complete stranger!

"It… It's not so b-bad, really," he stuttered, scrubbing fiercely at his eyes. "I mean, I-I'm sure they just… w-want me to have… r-realistic expectations."

"Is that what All Might told you just now?"

The twelve year old flinched, his blood turning to ice in his veins as his eyes snapped up towards the man's face. He knew that he and All Might had just been together?! What they'd discussed?! If so, did that mean he knew about his weakened form!? That would be bad. Really bad. All Might had trusted him; he couldn't break his promise, especially so soon after making it! "How… H-How did you…?" he whispered.

The stranger chuckled gently. Too gently, somehow. This man's voice was like an unholy combination of oil and honey, smooth and oozing with so much sympathy and understanding that it seemed to wash over Izuku in waves, soothing away his fears and drawing out his pain all in one fell swoop. His nonexistent lips were pursed into what was likely supposed to be a sympathetic smile, but all at once Izuku could swear he saw something almost… calculating in his expression.

Something… Something about all of this was very wrong.

"Oh come now, my boy," the man continued in that too-soothing voice of his. "I've been watching you for some time now. I know that you're quirkless. I know that this world, this society, has written you off as worthless. Even All Might, the hero you respected more than anyone or anything in the world, has told you to abandon your dreams, never even considering that you may have other talents beyond mere power, but I can see them quite clearly. You're a strategist, my boy. An analyst with an eye for detail, and it is truly impressive to watch you work. With proper guidance, a talent like that could have many applications. Frankly, you could have been a great hero. It's a shame that All Might was too blind to see your true potential."

Alarm bells blared in Izuku's head.

True potential.

Proper guidance.

I've been watching you.

This wasn't a random meeting at all. He'd been specifically targeted.

And that had to mean this person came with a plan.

Izuku's heart raced as he fought to think rationally through the oil-and-honey haze fogging up his mind. First things first, he had to figure out what was making it so hard to think right now. It was probably a quirk of some kind, but what? It wasn't mind control; these weren't new thoughts being put in his head. It was more like some of his darkest thoughts were being carefully summoned to the surface of his mind.

'Fascinating things, empathy quirks,' Izuku's father had once said on one of his Sunday calls home from his research position in Paris. 'They come in so many varieties! On the one hand you have the straight receivers that experience only what emotions the people around them experience, but then you'll also have empath type quirks that are pure output-the kinds that manipulate others' emotions-and everything in between.'

An empathy quirk, Izuku thought. That could explain how he knew I was here at all given that he can't see, especially if it gives him some sort of 'radar' marking another person's whereabouts, not to mention that it could alert him to how vulnerable my emotional state is to manipulation right now.

It took all he had not to shudder.

'You know Izuku, you're a smart kid, but you also have a big heart-sometimes a little too big for your own good. If you ever come across someone you think may have an empathy quirk, you'll need to be very careful.'

He had to keep a clear mind, think with his head. A few sweet words, a compliment here or there, meant absolutely nothing. The cruelest of all bullies were the ones that pretended to be your friend. "That… Th-That's not what he meant," he muttered, desperately organizing his thoughts. "It… It d-doesn't matter how smart I am. I… I-I'm not strong enough to-"

"But what if you could be?"

Izuku's frantic thoughts ground to a halt, and in spite of everything he found himself gaping up at the creepy stranger. "What?"

The man smiled again, just a little, without showing his teeth this time. "What if you could have all the power you ever wanted, and the strength of body to match your strength of will and mind? An ability that would help you to achieve your dream, your desire to protect others-to change this society?"

The green-haired boy blinked as he realized what the man was implying, his mind springing back into action to rapidly filter through everything he had ever learned about quirk theory from his father and his own research over the past eight years. "That… That's not possible," he said slowly. Quirks were genetic abilities. You couldn't just alter a person's DNA that was-

"Oh, but it is." The man was grinning again. "My quirk grants me that ability, you know: the ability to pass power on to others."

A quirk with the ability to give power to other people? That isn't entirely unheard of; there are quirks out there that grant power boosts to other people rather than to the wielder themselves. I suppose it's not entirely outside the realm of possibility for a quirk to exist that can make such a boost a more permanent fixture. Wait, but I thought he had an empathy quirk? Could it be that there's someone else nearby feeding him information? That could also explain that portal quirk earlier, if there are multiple people working together here.

Wait, if this is a group, then there's no doubt that this was organized. But… why? Is this a kidnapping? A quirkless-trafficking ring? But then wouldn't they have just grabbed me and run, especially if they have a teleportation quirk on their side? Why is this guy trying to throw some kind of recruitment pitch at me? What is it that they're really after here?!

The green-haired boy closed his eyes briefly, forcing himself to count his breaths, consciously feeling his heart rate even out. It wouldn't do to continue fumbling through this conversation in an emotionally dampened panic; he had to think. What had the man been going on about before? What was it he'd said about him?

'You're an analyst. With proper guidance, a talent like that could have many applications.'

Proper guidance, huh? The implications in those words alone were worrying. Still, Izuku needed as much information as possible to figure out what to do next. The green-haired boy opened his eyes again, his jaw set. His hands were still visibly shaking though, so it was a good thing the man couldn't see.

"What do you want from me?" Izuku asked slowly, his eyes flicking over the stranger's face, searching for clues in his facial expression and body language.

"Dear child, I thought that was fairly obvious," the man chuckled amicably, his grin widening. "I want to be your guide. The one that helps you to hone your skills and convictions."

I want control. I want to shape your image of the world.

All of that went unsaid, but it was heavily implied to the close-listening ear. Izuku felt the pieces of his resolve coming back together from where they had faltered and splintered following his conversation with All Might, hardening once more and forming into a solid bar in his soul. There were too many red flags here for Izuku to trust this creep, too many subtle probes, too many pieces of unsettling information. This man had been watching him, knew his dreams, his weaknesses, and his talents, and wanted to exploit him for some unknown purpose.

I need more information.

"You want my cooperation… to do what?" Izuku asked slowly, fighting to keep the growing suspicion out of his voice and desperately hoping that the empath, wherever he may be, had an output-only type quirk.

"My my, you are a clever one, aren't you?" the man chuckled again, and Izuku's heart leapt in a burst of fear.

Crap, does the empath know?! Oh no, was I mumbling all of that!?

"I want to help you achieve your dream, of course," the man continued as though oblivious to Izuku's sudden, inner conflict. "I want to change this society; change this very world in fact. I want to create a world that is better for people like you."

Okay. Okay, it doesn't look like he heard me mumbling. He's keeping it vague, implying that we're on the same side and have similar goals, but without ever once asking me what my goals are or explicitly stating what his plan is. "People like me. You mean quirkless?" he asked, probing a little deeper.

"All the oppressed that this society has created," the man corrected, spreading his arms as though to encompass all the world in the gesture. "All those whose dreams are suppressed, mocked and stepped upon, regardless of whether they possess quirks or not."

Still too vague; that's not enough information to take to the police. "And this new world… what would it look like?"

"What else, my boy, but a paradise?"

A paradise…

Just for a moment, Izuku's heart raced at the thought, and it scared him to admit that it wasn't just the influence of the empathy quirk. Deep down, the twelve year old couldn't deny it: he was flattered by the idea that someone thought his analysis ability was useful, flattered that he had been noticed at all, and frankly the very idea that someone, anyone, thought that he could be a hero was like a balm to his soul.

But he knew better.

The kind of paradise that this man was implying he intended to create, the kind of world where fear was a distant nightmare and everyone sang kumbaya in a happy circle, didn't exist. He'd seen and read enough history to know that what may be a 'paradise' for one person, could be a living hell for another, because all men are not created equal.

Izuku'd known that since he was four years old, long before he ever met All Might. Besides, it wasn't like All Might had been trying to hurt him-he probably had no idea what it was like to grow up quirkless, and anyway it wasn't like he didn't have a point. Even powerful heroes died; All Might himself had been so badly injured that he couldn't work as a hero for longer than four and a half hours a day anymore; it was little wonder he was scared for the safety of a quirkless kid that wanted to throw himself into one of the most dangerous professions in the world!

So basically, if this man truly believed that he could create a 'paradise', he was either delusional beyond belief, or the most terrifying, messed-up monster Izuku had ever met. And considering the major 'stranger danger' vibes coming off of him and the anti-All Might rhetoric he kept spouting, Izuku was inclined to believe he was the latter.

And that terrified him.

I have to get out of here.

"Could I… Could I have some time to think about it?" Izuku asked quietly, head bowed, his hands grasping the straps of his backpack in a shaky grip.

"But of course, my boy," the stranger agreed easily, his friendly tone never wavering. "I realize I've given you much to think about."

Izuku's head snapped up, a flicker of hope fluttering in his chest. Would he seriously just… let him go? Was that normal behavior for kidnappers? If so, it seemed pretty counter-intuitive.

"However, before you go my boy, I'd like to leave you a little something."

"What… What would that be?" Izuku asked cautiously, fighting the instinct to turn and run as the man stepped into his personal space. He couldn't risk tipping the man off to his intentions so quickly.

"Just a way for you to contact me when you make your decision," the man smiled in reply, and Izuku felt himself relax slightly. If he gave him some kind of pager or cellular device that he could turn in to the police-

Izuku flinched as the man's large hand fell on his head and he declared, "Voice Surveillance."

A strange sensation passed through the boy's body, like a raw egg had just been cracked on his head and slid down his spine, sending shivers all the way down to his toes. "What… What was…?" he whispered, dread pooling in the pit of his stomach.

"Now, I will be able to hear anything you say," the stranger grinned, bearing his teeth again. "When you're ready, just tell me your location, and I will send someone to collect you."

Izuku felt his breath hitch in his chest, his eyes wide. The man might have said something more to him as he stepped into a new swirling mass of purplish smoke, but Izuku couldn't hear him past the blood pounding in his ears.

'Now, I will be able to hear anything you say.'

He was hyperventilating.

'Anything you say.'

Faster and faster.

'Anything.'

The edges of his vision were going dark.

ANYTHING.

The heaving of his stomach and the sharp, bitter tang of bile brought Izuku back to himself. As awful as it was, there was nothing quite like throwing up to forcefully drag him out of a panic attack. Still dizzy, he staggered back against the tunnel wall and slumped to the floor, suddenly becoming aware of the violent shaking in his hands.

This was a dream. It had to be a bad dream; God please let this be a dream! Kacchan telling him to jump off a roof, a monster appearing before him, a monster that could somehow give power to others and yet could also hear anything he said-

How big is this operation? There were at least three distinct quirks in use, plus rumors of a fourth, and yet I only saw one person. This 'Voice Surveillance' quirk; it appeared to be touch-activated, but if that man has a surveillance quirk, then how could he also have a power-enhancing quirk? Those two abilities wouldn't seem to line up at all. Unless maybe it's a case of a quirk that allows him to project his own abilities through the bodies of others? Not just his ability to perceive sound, but also his physical strength? But if that's the case, then what all can he do? Is he really only listening to what I say? Can he hear people around me? Is he able to see what I see, or can he only use one of his senses at once? Does he actually need me to tell him my location, or is that just a ploy and he's really aware of me at all times? Is it even safe to go home; what if he finds out where I live, would that put Mom in danger?! Oh god, does he already know where I live is she already in danger!?

Izuku felt like he was about to pass out. Why did he feel so dizzy? Why did-

Oh. He was starting to hyperventilate again.

Calm down. Calm down, just breathe.

Izuku cupped his hands over his mouth, trying to breathe slowly, forcing himself to hold his inhales for ten seconds each. Once his head had stopped spinning, he forced himself to think. He couldn't risk going home. If there was any chance that they hadn't found his address yet, he couldn't risk leading them there. He refused to put his mother's life in danger.

But, he thought, curling his lip against the sour smell rising from beside him, I don't really want to stay here either.

On shaky legs, Izuku pushed himself to his feet and walked back out of the tunnel, blinking against the evening sun glaring in his eyes. He wandered aimlessly, any half-baked plans to approach the police shattered by this "Voice Surveillance" quirk, not to mention his complete lack of evidence. That man had chosen his location to confront Izuku well; there weren't even security cameras in that tunnel to corroborate his story. Any attempt to tell an adult would be dismissed as the poor pitiful quirkless kid making a grab for attention.

It wouldn't be the first time. All of his attempts to tell schools about his bullies over the years had ended that way.

With a bitter sigh, the twelve-year old leaned wearily against the guardrail of a bridge overlooking the slow-running Musutafu river, resting his chin on his hands.

The world did need changing. That stranger hadn't been wrong about that, at least. But what was Izuku supposed to do about it? How was he supposed to change anything, when he had no hope of becoming a hero?

When All Might himself had said so.

'What if you could have all the power you ever wanted?'

Izuku grit his teeth, his hands tightening on the railing.

'What if you could change this society?'

Shut up! he hissed at his invasive thoughts. There's no way that he was telling the truth. He's just trying to use you. You know that he just said that to manipulate you.

But what if he didn't? the traitorous voice in the back of his mind whispered. What if he really could give you power? A quirk? What if you could become a hero?

Oh please, he huffed to himself. Did it really look like he wanted to help me become a hero? It sounded a lot more like he wants to help me to become a villain-

A chill passed through Izuku's body, and he found himself straightening up, his breath hitching as he stared without seeing at a glint on the river's surface. That whole recruitment pitch, pointing out all of the flaws in society-flaws that Izuku himself had experienced first hand-the anti-All Might commentary-

Oh my God. That's exactly what all this was about wasn't it? That man wants to turn me into a villain. And I-

And I… can't do anything about it, can I.

That man had openly admitted to watching him. He had known exactly where to find him. He probably knew where Izuku went to school, quite likely knew where he lived, who his parents were-or at least who his mom was-who he associated with, all of it. And who knew how long that Voice Surveillance quirk was supposed to last, or even what it could do? He couldn't tell anyone, and he couldn't risk writing anything down, in case that man could do more than just hear him with that quirk. He couldn't go to the police or the heroes, and even if he did, who would believe him? Who would believe that he, quirkless, useless Deku, had been targeted for recruitment by a villain group?

No. No, he had no chance of asking for help. Izuku was trapped.

"Damn it," he hissed under his breath, frustrated tears welling in his eyes. "Damn it!" Without thinking, he kicked ferociously at the base of the rail, cringing against the throb of pain that passed through his foot. "What did I do to deserve any of this?! All I wanted was to be a hero!" he shouted, his voice ringing through the silence, startling a pair of birds from their roost across the river. "All I wanted…" he whispered brokenly, slumping against the rail again, staring miserably down at the ripples his tears made in the muddy water.

'Why don't you go take a swan dive and hope for a quirk in your next life?'

Izuku scoffed quietly as Kacchan's words from earlier that day came back to him. At this point, that was sounding like his only way out of this. But no. No, he couldn't do that to his parents. Besides, that wasn't a solution. Whatever plans that man had, Izuku doubted that his death would prevent them from happening.

But maybe… Maybe if Izuku was still alive…

Maybe I can stop him, he realized. If I can learn what his plans are, and if he can really give me a quirk, then maybe, just maybe I can stop anyone else from getting hurt.

Maybe… I can be a hero.

Izuku's hands were shaking again, his legs weak with the gravity of his realization. He sat down heavily, twisting to lean against the post of the guardrail, staring at a crack in the sidewalk. Become a hero by becoming a villain. It was an insane plan-hardly a plan at all, really-but what other choice did he have? If this was the only way to protect his family, then he would do it.

Oh God. Mom. Dad.

If he just disappeared, it would break their hearts. He couldn't do that to them. He had to leave them with something.

With still-trembling fingers, Izuku opened his backpack, pulling out a well-worn notebook labeled Hero Analysis for the Future No. 11. He flipped it open to a blank page, marked by his waiting pen, and hesitantly began to write.

Dear Mom,

Okay, now what? He couldn't tell them what he was really doing. That would just put them in even more danger than they were already in.

Once again, his eyes were drawn to the water.

'Why don't you go take a swan dive?'

Izuku'd read all of the statistics. It wasn't uncommon for quirkless kids to commit suicide, he knew. If he made it look like he really had thrown himself off of the bridge, then it wasn't likely the police would look for him for very long. After all, who would care to hunt down the body of a dead quirkless kid? And if his parents didn't come looking for him, then he could hopefully keep them out of all this.

Taking a deep breath, Izuku once again put pen to paper.

I'm sorry that you have to find out this way. I wish I could have told you in person, but if I had, you would only have gotten hurt. I'm sorry that it has to be this way, but at least like this I'll finally be able to change things. I'll be able to show everyone that even a deku's life matters.

I love you. And Dad. Please don't blame yourselves. I hope to see you both on the other side.

Love,

Izuku

There. That was vague enough, right? He could only hope that it would be enough to give his parents a little bit of comfort.

Closing the notebook, Izuku tucked it back into his backpack and rose unsteadily to his feet. Then, taking a deep breath to steel his nerves, he whispered, "I'm at the footbridge over the Musutafu River."

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then a smoky, purple-black circle flared into existence a mere two meters away, sending the twelve-year old jumping with surprise. Slowly, the smoke took shape, forming a tall man wearing slacks, a white collared shirt, and a gray vest.

Fascinating. Was this an emitter quirk, or transformation? It certainly had heteromorphic properties, otherwise his body wouldn't have that smoky quality-

"Greetings, Midoriya-kun," the man rumbled, cutting through Izuku's thoughts, his voice deep and somehow distant, like he was speaking through a microphone with a slight reverb. "My name is Kurogiri. My master sent me to fetch you."

"P-Pleased to meet you, Kurogiri-san," Izuku stuttered back with a slight bow.

"Likewise. Now, if you would please enter my warpgate, I will transport you directly to him."

The man's body dissipated once more, forming another swirling portal. Heart pounding, Izuku walked towards it, only to pause a step away and cast a final glance back towards his childhood home: the setting sun, the muddy river, the swaying trees, the silent streets.

His mother.

"Good-bye," he whispered through the pang in his chest.

Then he turned and stepped resolutely into the darkness.