Happy New Year!

May the bad leave and good come in 2022 for you all!

UnlawfulGentleman: Man, how have I missed your feedback! Thanks for the words of encouragement and can't wait for you to read this chapter!

RedHood001: Yeah, I have a soft spot for Twice. The guy deserved better and Izuku is here to deliver!

TehStorm: Yeah, Izuku was holding back. Part of the focus of his training is learning how hard he can hit and when. He could literally dent Tetsutetsu but this is a spar fight and he wanted to learn some martial arts first instead of focusing on brute force.

wither storm: Miles Morales... and a few more.

ProjectIceman: Part of Stain's problem is that he looks at everything like a a fanatic. He idolizes All Might but still kills people because he believes it is for the better.

Months flew by as Izuku adjusted to his intense new schedule. Not a single moment of the day was to be wasted if he wished to live up to the former villain's expectations - which kept increasing the moment he reached them.

"Never rest on the laurels for far too long. Be proud of your achievements but never forget, there is always a higher ground to reach. A greater success to pursue."

And so Izuku continued to push himself further. Some might have called it insane, and Izuku could see why they would think that. But at the same time, he preferred this to what his life used to be before.

It was better to be pushed towards greater results than feel as if nobody expected anything from him.

Izuku finished the set with a light sigh, his mind going back to mom. He loved his mom, and he understood why she felt the way she did about him pursuing hero career.

But logic and heart didn't always go hand-in-hand and even if he saw perfectly why she wished he didn't, he couldn't help just a tiny bit bitter over it.

Mom saw it and so, for the past couple of months, the air at home was filled with the awkwardness and tension. Neither of the two was a confrontational sort but he could feel the air grow thicker with the unspoken worries and frustration. He was ashamed to admit it, but it was one of the reasons why he found it easier to get used to his training regime.

It was easy to stay out when you didn't feel like going back home.

"All her worries will disappear once you prove yourself," Doctor said as Izuku stepped out of the gym.

He was waved off by Bubaigawara-san, who seemed content enough with his life as the place's custodian. A humble but honest employment. And from what he heard from Kunizaki-san, he would start his therapy soon.

"His Quirk has potential. We should recruit him once he finishes it."

Izuku shook his head softly. Bubaigawara-san seemed happy enough with his life now. And while it was not his Quirk that caused the man to end up a criminal, it still was a big part of what caused his mental state to deteriorate to such a degree.

"If you wish so," Doctor conceded. "A shame, really. You could have an army of disposable and replicating minions at your command."

Minions, huh?

"Sometimes, I forget that you used to be a villain, sir."

"And then I was the city's main protector," Doctor defended himself. "And when I employed grunts, I provided them with a competitive salary and a good benefits package."

Izuku chuckled at that, imagining the logistics of it all. In his world, it was normal. But in the world from which doctor came? He could only think about the recruiting process. Did he have a three-month trial period? Or quarterly performance review?

"Yes," Doctor said without a hint of sarcasm. "However, it was a monthly performance review. I was on a tight schedule and I wanted to make it clear that I expected all my employees to perform to the best of their abilities. New York's crime rates are not the seasonal business, so I saw the monthly reviews as fitting way to keep track of our efficiency."

'You better do the same' went unsaid. While it was not required, it was expected that a successful enough hero would go on to employ sidekicks. The idea was that it would allow the employer to delegate less urgent requests, receive the support and engage in missions that their Quirks might not be best suited for.

In return, sidekicks would receive the access to the wide network of their employer's connections, permission to participate in classes of missions they would not be allowed to take as an individual hero as well as competitive compensation.

It was rumored that some sidekicks to the top ten heroes were earning more than a newly established hero.

But the day when he would have his own agency were far away from him, yet.

Coming back home, he was greeted with the quiet and dark. Mom was probably upstairs, reading. In the kitchen was the dinner covered with plastic and a note. He didn't feel like eating - he was used now to making some prepared meals and eating them at work. He looked at the stairs, wondering briefly if he should talk to mom.

But what could he possibly say?

Hey, mom, don't worry, I got the mind of a man from another dimension who is teaching me how to be a hero? He used to be a villain and now will teach me how to defeat them with minimal damage to myself?

Izuku let out a sigh and quietly went to his room. He would talk to her later. Her worries would be gone once he cleared the entrance exam with no injuries. And then, everything would go back to normal.

)O(

Kamado liked to think of herself as a social expert. She enjoyed observing her classmates and figuring what made everyone tick. It was one of the many reasons why she liked to sit at the back of the class. All the better to see what the others were doing during and after class.

Notes passed between boys and girls. Whispers of crushes and dirty rumors. Movies, games, upcoming exams, she listened in and searched for the biggest and juiciest of topics. It was unsurprising when her - and most of the class' - attention shifted to the topic of Midoriya and Bakugou.

When she first transferred here, she instantly picked the two as the most interesting of the bunch. An arrogant and loudmouthed genius. A meek and delusional wallflower. They were interesting to observe but, over the time, the whole thing lost its novelty. There were only so many times she enjoyed their little fights before they got too stale.

Luckily, it didn't take long for the two to find something new to feed her desire for rumors with. Midoriya awakened his Quirk and now, five months later, the boy was always the hottest topic in their class. Not surprising, given how otherwise boring everything else was.

"I saw him work out at the gym - I am telling you, the dude is jacked now! Think he is taking something?"

"Check this out," one of the girls pulled up some NewView prank channel. It showed one of the college students tripping Midoriya, a tray of plates and glasses flying into the air. "The guys were trying to pull a prank there - no harm intended since they would pay for the damage... if Midoriya didn't catch them all on a tray."

"Not bad," Akadai whistled - how he saw anything with his bangs covering his eyes, Kamado had no idea. "Well, if his hero career doesn't pan out, he can become a circus performer."

"Speaking of hero careers, what are the odds on that bet again? I was thinking of trying my luck with it."

Kamado leaned back in her seat and let the rumors flow through the classroom. By this point, the entire school must have heard it. Two childhood friends betting their very future on the result of an entrance exam. It sounded like something out of her little bro's favorite manga. Reckless and stupid, but no less entertaining for it.

Those who rooted for Midoriya did so for several reasons. First of all, odds were against him. Even if he developed his Quirk, he still was ten years behind Bakugou in using it. Second, even those who either didn't care or disliked Midoriya, saw far more potential joy in Bakugou losing. Petty and spiteful but what could you expect from kids their age?

On the other hand, Bakugou's support was far less emotional in its roots. It was no secret that the blonde bomber had no friends here or outside the school. His two lackeys, feeling the winds change, quickly cut their ties with the blonde after the latter was zapped by Midoriya. Not that Bakugou cared. The boy seemed just fine being alone, now solely focused on his goal.

Kamado wasn't sure if he was fortunate or unfortunate for that.

"Hey, look, is that Midoriya?"

All eyes followed Muzukashi's gaze and watched the school yard where, just as he said, the newest source of all fuzz stood. Red in the face and shaking like an autumn leaf, so unlike the rumored image he was growing into. Most likely because of the girl standing in front of him.

Kamado recognized her from the other class. Tsuika, not particularly beautiful or bright, an overall average in everything. None of them could make out what the two were saying, but thanks to Tokachu and his Quirk, they did get one juicy bit of the conversation. Not a sentence or even a word but rather the fact that the girl was holding out a pink letter for Midoriya to take.

A love confession? Wasn't that a nice little thing?

They watched as Midoriya started moving his hands animatedly as he mumbled something to the girl. Whatever it was, it was, unfortunately, not the start of the whirlwind romance. Even without hearing what he said, the miserable way the girl hung her head and brought the paper closer to her chest was enough.

Midoriya the Heartbreaker, Kamado mused, certainly had a funny little ring to it.

"The hell are you extras watching?"

Nobody said a word. Nobody entertained Bakugou, instead choosing to either return to their seat or chat with each other until the next class began. It was yet another proof of how much the class dynamics changed.

They still feared Bakugou but, at the same time, they all understood that none of them had anything to fear from him personally. The blonde had eyes for Midoriya only. And while nobody would try and antagonize him, there were few who had any desire to follow or hang around him.

The bell rang and Kamado watched everyone take their seats.

Her eyes stayed on Midoriya just a little bit longer than usual.

)O(

"You are upset."

"Is it that obvious?"

"I am literally inside your head, Midoriya. So yes, it is that obvious."

Izuku sighed as he finished his homework. Being a teenage boy, it was obvious that he imagined being confessed every once in a while. And, of course, he never really imagined the confession coming from someone he neither knew nor was interested in getting to know... Man, now he was starting to sound like a jerk.

"Don't be ridiculous," Doctor said. "There's nothing bad in rejecting one's feelings."

So many people always thought there had to be a reason for rejection. Looks, reputation, future prospects. But the truth was that you could always be rejected for no other reason than the other person's whim.

"I still feel a little bad about it," remembering Tsuika-san's embarrassed face was not painful. But it was not a pleasant memory either. "She seemed nice. Sincere, too."

"And none of those things obligate you to accept her feelings. What would you rather do, agree to date her even though you feel nothing towards her? Lead her on for the sake of feeling better about yourself?"

Okay, point made and point taken. Doctor was right.

"As always."

Izuku rolled his eyes and closed his textbook. No work today, plenty of time for himself. His webshooters were checked and in no need of repairs. He looked at the clock - two hours until mom came back home from the office. Just enough time to get back home from the library. Maybe get something to eat on his way there, too.

Of course, it would also involve his training with Spider-Sense.

Tanchi-san - the instructor suggested by Kugizaki-san - had some experience with sensor Quirks. And while she never worked with powers related to instinctual detection of danger, her expertise and years of research did provide him with some hints for potential development.

Most of the Quirks she worked with were instinctual and reactive types. With those, the best path for improvement was to train one's sensibility to their own impulses and the ability to work under pressure. His Spider-Sense warned him within the range of ten to fifteen seconds of any incoming danger. And until recently, it only reacted to things that it recognized as malicious physical attacks.

Recently, however, it started to warn him of attacks with no malicious intent as well. His spars with Tetsutetsu were a good example of that. The guy was as friendly and helpful as they come but his punches and attempts at charging were now always telegraphed with the light buzzing in his head.

How far could such ability be pushed?

According to Tanchi-san, in rare cases, one could train themselves and, by extension, their Quirk to detect things to a higher and more specific degree. In his case, she said, it depended on how exactly his 'Quirk' operated. Was it just a response to hostile intent detected? Again, spars with Tetsutetsu disproved that. Perhaps, it worked based on the list of things he subconsciously identified as threats?

"Back when I was Spider-Man, my Spider-Sense reacted only to things that my body would recognize as a threat to my health," Otto said. "From Parker's memories, things such as clones and symbiotes were invisible to his Spider-Sense. I theorized that it was due to the Spider-Sense not recognizing those two as foreign entities and thus only saw the damage from them as self-harm."

Would the Spider-Sense warm him of the danger that came from himself? For now, he had no desire to test that theory out. For now, all he could do with this power was try and see in what directions he could push it.

Let's try this, then.

His pace slowed down as he tried to remember the feeling of Spider-Sense. The way goosebumps spread all over his skin. How his heart rate accelerated and the world slowed down to a crawl for the briefest of moments before the jolt of electricity would surge through his brain and push him to move out of harm's way.

Otto suggested trying to visualize the power. And Izuku couldn't think of a better image than a spider's web. The web that covered the area around him, every nook and cranny. And how, similar to his namesake, he would be aware of any threat that intruded upon his domain.

... Okay, now I just sound like a supervillain.

"Nonsense, you sound like someone in control. That's what a superior hero should always sound like. Now focus."

It was a weird feeling. For all he knew, he was just focusing on this imaginary web for nothing and just deluding himself. But his gut was telling him to keep trying. Perhaps, he just needed more practice with it? Izuku refused to even consider the possibility that he couldn't train this power further.

Spider-Sense was just way too powerful not to try and find its limits. The potential applications were just too good to give up right now.

"That's the right attitude, Midoriya. Trust me, we will have this power mastered by the time of the exam. And nothing will be able to stop us."

Izuku felt the surge of rush as Doctor shared the memories of Spider-Man and how he used this power. Avoiding danger was one thing. But when combined with his martial arts skills? It was a thing of beauty.

Surging through the air, moving ever so slightly to avoid bullets or other projectile weapons.

Avoiding strikes and hits just as your opponent was about to deliver them.

Spider-Man was practically unstoppable with it.

And soon, Izuku smiled excitedly, he would be, too.

"Yo, Izuku!"

Izuku yelped in surprise as someone slapped him on the back. So much for Spider-Sense, huh. Then again, it's not like he wanted his power to detect everything and everyone around himself. That sounded more like a curse than a blessing.

"Hello to you too, Tetsutetsu."

"Hey, why be so formal? You can call me by my first name, man!"

"Ah, thanks, so... Tetsutetsu?"

"Yup!" Izuku stared awkwardly at the guy not quite sure if he was missing some joke. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Just studying for the tests," as well as reading up on engineering and chemistry because Doctor wanted him to start experimenting with web fluid more. "What about you?"

"Ah, me and my friends were going to check out this challenge at All-Might All-Meals. Nothing bonds guys over like trying to finish one of those," his eyes narrowed and a grin spread on his lips. "Say, Izuku, you mentioned that you eat a lot, right?"

Despite the truth of the statement, Izuku couldn't help his face getting red.

"W-Well, I do burn through a lot of calories due to my metabolism so..."

"Awesome, let's go then!"

Before his brain even processed it, Izuku found himself in All-Might All-Meals cafe with Tetsutetsu and his friends. Both of which seemed to be just as much of reluctant participants as himself. Seriously, Awase-kun was fine but Yanagi-san looked like a ghost, no way was she going to eat much of the challenge meal.

"Alright!" said the cheerful waiter, wearing the All-Might cap. "You know the rules, kids. Twenty jumbo-sized hot dogs, twenty spicy hot wings, twenty double cheeseburgers, two large bowls of salad and four large cokes. Finish it all in under an hour and it is free! No Quirks allowed and no bathroom runs, folks!"

Izuku stared at the intimidating mountain of food. Then he looked the quickly paling Awase and Yanagi. And finally, at the widely-grinning Tetsutetsu. Doctor suggested taking out the lights with a quick blast and running.

It sounded like a pretty good idea. He didn't need Spider-Sense to know the amount of calories was an overkill here.

"Aaaand start!"

They fought bravely. Yanagi went with the salads first and half of the wings. The rest of the group divided the remaining food among each other and got to eating. They tried to do it methodically but as time trickled away and the food refused to disappear, they got desperate.

In the end, despite their best efforts, they failed to clear the challenge in time. And since it was Tetsutetsu's idea, the boy volunteered to pay the bill despite their attempts to chip in.

"Ugh, my allowance!"

"That's what you get for trying that crazy challenge," Awase patted the metalhead's back. "Seriously, if you were going to try it, why not fast or something?"

Tetsutetsu looked genuinely offended at the very idea of it.

"Because a real man faces his fights with the full stomach!"

"... Even when his fight is with an eating challenge?" Yanagi-san asked, amused at the boy's logic.

The hard-headed boy turned to Izuku, his eyes begging for the other boy to back him up on this one.

"Sorry, Tetsutetsu, I am with them on this one."

Did he have to look at him like that? Izuku felt like he just kicked a puppy or something. They walked together for around half an hour more before going their separate ways.

Izuku looked at his watch, twenty minutes before mom came home. He could make it in time if he ran. His full stomach disagreed with the idea, though. Damn it, why did he try to finish the challenge? They were losing it, anyway.

"Keep going, Midoriya! Show your heroic spirit! Go Plus Ultra!"

Damn you, Tetsutetsu. Damn you and your surprisingly good manipulation tactics. On the bright side, he was pretty sure he made two new friends in Awase-kun and Yanagi-san. Tetsutetsu was right - nothing brings people closer than doing dumb stuff for the hell of it.

He hoped they could do something like that again in the future. Tetsutetsu did say, they all were applying to U.A. If he was lucky, they all would pass and end up in the same class as him.

"Already imagining yourself in U.A.? You have yet to pass the exam, Midoriya."

He chuckled.

"I am just being confident," he smiled. "I have you by my side, Doctor."

"Good answer."

)O(

"Akaguro-kun, thank you for coming. Please, take a seat."

Chizome looked at the guidance counselor, the woman's smile welcoming and warm.

"Am I in trouble?"

He didn't care if he was. But if he wasn't, he would rather skip the session. There was no value to it.

"No," a lie. He could see it in her eyes. "But, as your guidance counselor, I can't help but be concerned with some of the complaints about you. Disrupting classes, even as a joke, is not-"

"Not a joke," he whispered, feeling all the more pissed at the woman's condescending tone. "I would never joke about something like that."

He held the ideals of heroes close to his heart. Closer than anyone in this rotten place. Heroes were his life and purpose of existence. That's why he applied here in the first place. He wanted to join the light a a hero who would uphold the justice of the world.

So why was he being dressed down for this?

"Akaguru-kun," the woman reached and placed a gentle hand on his. "I can see that you are passionate about becoming a hero. And believe me, as a former pro myself, nothing quite warms my heart as seeing kids like you attend our classes. But you must understand, everyone has their own reason to pursue career in this field. You don't have to respect all of them but being able to live with the fact that reasons vary will help you in your life."

Wrong.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. This woman was wrong. An enabler, like the rest of the faculty here. They were part of the problem. The spineless fossils who cared more about their paycheck than raising the next generation of heroes right.

"Is that what you called me here for?" He scoffed, feeling sick. His fingers itched as they gripped the fountain pen in the pocket of his pants. She was a former pro. He was younger and faster. He could do it. He could cleanse her. Help her. Punish her. "Is that all you wanted to say to me?"

"Almost," she said. "Akaguro-kun, you have the potential. The potential to be a great hero."

His grip on pen weakened, the storm in his heart dissipating.

"But for that, I need you to look into your heart and ask yourself, is the path you are walking right now the one you wish to see to the end?"

...No.

He turned to the exit.

"You are right," he whispered. "The path I am currently on is the incorrect one."

The woman smiled and waved him off. For her help here, he would spare her his wrath. Her words rang true in his head, carving themselves into his brain for good. He looked deep into his heart and saw that his current path was wrong.

He wouldn't get any shit done if he became yet another hero!

If he stayed on this path, he would end up as rotten as the rest of this country's heroes. If he continued down this path, he would find himself declawed and defanged, fattened on merchandise deals and meaningless interviews. He would lose the sight of himself and end up yet another brick of the weak and rotting foundation of their crumbling country.

He had to break away from the system. He needed to build his own path. Guided by neither textbooks nor the instructors, following his own code of right and wrong, he would build himself up on his own. He would carve the ideals of his heart into the world.

And once his crusade was finished, he would be welcomed by the world that saw merit in his culling.

Several months passed since his encounter with the unknown being. Ever since that day, Stain dedicated a significant portion of his time and effort to figuring out its true identity. He needed to know why it sought out his potential ally. And whether or not it deserved to live or had to die to further his crusade.

Back in school, information gathering was one of his better subjects. And ever since he abandoned the path of a hero, he only further perfected his craft and extended his connections. It would never cease to amaze him how much you could learn if you just asked some people on the street. Especially those who lived on them.

Gathered around the fire, in a small abandoned building, a group of around twenty people shared their meager meals, meager 'earnings' and their stories. Usually, you would hear some of the crazier ones describe their delusions and provide the evening entertainment to those whose minds were still intact. But tonight, the stories carried the warning.

"It had multiple eyes, all pitch black and staring right through me."

"-fucking stabbed me, man! See? Here's the scar."

"Saw that thing eating out of the dumpster near the convenience store," said one of the homeless men. "I thought it was some kid, tried to get him here. But..."

"What happened?"

"I-It just attacked me, man. Spat out some kind of acid or poison at me, too! I managed to block it with my sleeve and ran as fast as I could."

The other member of the group, a sick-looking woman nodded along, "I screamed but it covered my mouth very quickly. Its hand was so hairy and smelled like blood and dirt, I thought I was going to throw up. It kept making these weird sounds with its teeth... Like it was trying to communicate with me."

"We should contact someone," another woman whispered, gently rocking her child. "I am sure heroes can handle it."

"Heroes," a man lying with his back turned to the group scoffed. "You all think they will listen to us? About this mysterious monster?"

"It's real! We all saw it!"

"Well, until someone who the city gives a damn about sees it, we can't do shit about it," he spat and covered himself with the dirty piss-soaked blanket. "If that thing preys only on us, the city might even give it a fucking medal."

The mood soured and the group remained quiet for the rest of the evening. Stain finished his notes and walked over to the old man in charge of the group. The man didn't talk to him, didn't want to even acknowledge his presence. "Thanks for letting me listen in. Here's your payment."

Stain handed the man several fat rolls of cash and turned to leave. The funds he accumulated through the years he spent as Stendhal were running low. But he didn't regret giving it to these people. No better way to wash off the taint of evil from the blood money than giving it to the innocent. And even if he ran out of money, he always knew where to get more.

The Vacant Place was your typical bar for those who wished to enjoy a drink while on the run from the law. Drinks tasted like piss and prices were about the most criminal thing about this place. But beggars couldn't be choosers and it was one of the few places that survived the expansion of heroes and their offices.

The air was just as heavy and toxic as he remembered, filled with the breath and laughter of the scum here. Stain loved to come here when he needed a reminder of who he was and why he went down his path.

He was aware of the propaganda HSPC was pushing against him. They called him mentally unstable and extremely dangerous. A villain!

He would find it hilarious if their intentions weren't so pathetically transparent.

But every once in a while, his heart would waver.

He would start doubting himself and his path. The tiny traitorous voice would urge him to turn himself in. And whenever that happened, he would come here. To see the real scum of this world and remind himself who he was. He was the solution and the culler of the unjust and corrupt.

He was Stain.

And with those words, he would crush the tiny voice just as he culled yet another life. He was done with picking his next target here and headed to the exit, ready to start planning out his next attack. Just as the exit door exploded outward and the room was filled with smoke and ash.

Through the veil of grey, into the den of villains on the run, walked a single figure dressed in purple.

"Goooood evening, ladies and gentlemen! Please, gold your applause until the end of my introduction... Or dont't!" he raised his hands and spread them wide, his thin face practically split with a wide grin of sharp yellow teeth. "After all, none of you would be here if you lived your life following rules and advice of others, right?"

The green freak laughed at his own joke. Nobody else did.

The freak just continued laughing until the annoying and high-pitched sound finally got to one of the villains. His hands coated in metal, the mountain of a man charged at the still laughing freak and readied to smash his head like a pumpkin.

Only for the green-skinned man to grab him and toss him to the opposite end of the room without a second thought or a moment of exertion.

"Alright, I see, you are all a little tense," the freak continued to grin. "Let us try this again. My name is Goblin King. And I have come here from far, far away with only one purpose."

If it was possible, his grin grew wider as his eyes glowed.

"To raise some good old chaos and throw this country into the firepits of Hell!"

He jumped onto the counter and grabbed himself a pitcher.

"Aren't you tired of this kind of life?" the man asked the crowd. There were murmurs and whispers. The worry melted away as more and more listened. "Of surviving on petty crimes and meager scores? Of having All Might tower over you and smile at your defeat and misery? Of all these annoying little heroes talking big and walking proud just because they got All Might on their side? Because I, for one, am sick of this!"

Louder. More confident and firm. The agreements were being now spoken, instead of merely whispered.

"But allow me to let you in on a little secret," the man crouched down and looked into the eyes of everyone in the crowd. "All Might is dying. And come the end of this year, All Might will be no more!"

The room instantly got colder, everyone's mood growing hesitant. Unsure. All Might dying? By the end of the year? None of them believed it. None of them dared to hope.

"I see the doubt in you. Don't worry, I don't blame you for that. After all, you all know nothing about me, do you? How could you ever trust a word of a stranger in purple tights, right?" his voice betrayed no lies, however. And so they continued to listen. Stain, more than anyone else in the room. "But then again, haven't you all noticed how little we see of the Symbol of Peace these days?"

More murmurs and whispers. More side glances and hushed exchanges.

Stain's grip on his knife stiffened. He knew All Might was appearing less. But he always thought it was a sign that All Might wanted heroes to do their jobs properly. That he, in a way, shared his own ideals. Was it not the reason for his decreased activity? If not, then what could it possibly be then?

"Perhaps, you all will believe me if you see these, then!"

Pictures flew across the room and everyone wasted no time in looking what they showed, exactly. Stain grabbed his own copy and stilled his breath. It was All Might. Smaller and weaker, looking more like a skeleton at death's door than the mighty paragon Stain idolized. No, it couldn't be All Might. This had to be some sort of a joke.

This couldn't be All Might.

"He is weakened. He is vulnerable. He is a dead man walking. That's why he is going to teach at U.A. He wishes to impart his knowledge and experience to the next generation. before he kicks the bucket!" Goblin King laughed hoarsely. "But I am not here to tell you to go after him, my friends! Weakened and dying, he is still All Might! You all would fall to him even if he was on his last breath. No... The reason why I came here to you is to offer you the vision."

Stain started to make his way through the crowd.

"Imagine the day All Might falls. Imagine the despair and panic that will spread through the city. Imagine just how vulnerable everyone will be with their great Symbol of Peace gone!"

Stain scoffed as he practically feel everyone's excitement at the thought of it. He was sick of these scumbags.

"And when the dust settles, only one group will stand above all the others. Not the yakuzas desperate for their former glory. Not the fanatics and their stupid ideals. Not a bunch of losers led by a child and some relic. No!"

The man's rant ended with a smash of the pitcher and the mad grin.

"It will be me... and those who are smart enough to join him. Goblin King and his Nation will rule Japan. Only question remaining, are you - the cruel and ruthless lot - ready to put your trust in me? Are you ready... to take a leap of faith with me?"

The people in the crowd didn't bow or kneel. They didn't whisper or glance at each other.

They roared.

All except for Stain, who jumped into the air with his sword above his head.

His scream was one of wrath and vengeance for the crime yet not committed. For the blasphemy against his idol and the world Stain envisioned. His blade slashed through the air and was about to cut this demon in half.

Only for it to sink into his own bed.

"What the- Where did you go?!"

Stain looked around the place - it was his apartment. He tossed aside the unnecessary questions and rushed out of the room. He had to get back there and finish that Goblin off. He would kill him and then everyone other scumbag that sided with him. He would end them before they could even think of going after All Might.

But when he arrived at Vacant Place, they were all gone. Before he could tear the place apart in blind fury, Stain noticed a note stabbed into the counter with a small kitchen knife.

Keep him safe for me.

Confused by the message, Stain turned over the note.

It was the picture of Midoriya Izuku.

And that's a wrap.

Here to Goblin King, one of the story's main villains! It only makes sense that even in another dimension, Doctor would have to deal with Goblins, right?

Stain continues his own little adventure. It's kind of funny how I grew to disagree with the character and, as a result, just write more of him. I especially enjoyed writing the flashback that showed how Stain always had a problem of looking at an educational moment... and taking all the wrong lessons out of it.

And this concludes our pre-Exam arc.

Next chapter, you guys are getting a small timeskip to the Entrance Exam and the overdue All Might's POV.

Stay cool, guys!