Good In Evil
By: SomeRandomPerson648
Chapter One: Entrapment
A/N: Hey guys! I never imagined myself making more than one story, but here I am! I will note that this story will take inspiration from the Survivor Deku Fan Comic, so go check out Yan-Li and support her work! But I truly hope that this turns out well
Anyway, enjoy the story
It felt like it was only yesterday that Izuku Midoriya's life fell apart. Which, to be fair, it was yesterday. Everything went so wrong and only got worse that day, a train wreck of events. Even though he met his favorite hero, the man he looked up to his entire life, in a chance encounter after school he only gave the young boy a taste of reality
He couldn't be a hero
The young Midoriya walked to his seat as per usual, trying his best not to call attention to himself. Even though he got to class a little early this time around there were still a few students inside
"Great, Katcchan isn't here yet. After what happened yesterday I'm sure he'd let loose on me if he saw me again."
It also happened that Katsuki was attacked yesterday by a sludge monster, the same one that All Might fought just before Izuku met him. How or why it got out was still a mystery to him
"It was probably me." He thought, slumping in his chair. "If I hadn't chased after him he would've captured him properly. I'm always getting in the way..."
With the realization came a new wave of tears that threatened to make their way out, an old wound tore open yet again. Izuku laid his head down on his desk as he tried to prevent himself from crying again, almost the fourth time since yesterday
"Hey Bakugo, you sure you're doing alright After what happened yesterday?"
"Can it! I'm doing fine, don't be so dramatic" The voice of Bakugo retorted bitterly
As as the loud and obnoxious boy made his way to ten classroom with two of his friends they were met with several concerned faces and curious looks. It wasn't everyday that one of their own classmates is saved by the number one hero! Overnight Bakugo became the talk of the class, easily brushing aside Midoriya's strange dream to go to UA
"What!? Got something to say?!" The violent boy exclaimed, making everyone avert their eyes. Even when they were supposed to feel bad they still couldn't help but think he deserved the encounter
All except Izuku, who was laying his head down to feign sleep. He wanted to be ignored, but Katsuki had other ideas
"Hey nerd. You still planning on going to UA? Better answer honestly so I can kick your ass." Bakugo threatened out of frustration and annoyance
"I-I don't know..." Izuku said, fighting back tears. It was just as he thought
"You don't know? I thought I told you that you'd never be a hero. It should be 'no'!" He said before he slammed his hands onto his 'friend's' desk
"Look at me when I'm talking Deku."
Slowly, Izuku picked up his head to reveal his puffy red face with tears at the edges of his eyes, scared to look at Katsuki. The blond middle schooler knew that Izuku was emotional for a boy, but to think he was this unstable?
"You're crying? I haven't even hit you yet!" He growled. "You really wanted to be a hero that badly?"
"I'm sorry I-I just-"
"Save it, I don't wanna hear you say it." He said, standing above the boy. Rather than look at him with disgust or hatred, he instead looked more disappointed than anything. "You need to stop acting like a kid. Just cause you want to get into UA doesn't mean it's going to happen, not for a quirkless reject like you."
"That's enough Bakugo, less you want me to write you up." The middle-aged teacher sighed, getting up from his seat to start class. While Izuku was being berated the rest of the class arrived, waiting for the lesson
"Hmph, just had to set the record straight." He hissed, walking back to his seat
Deku never really was a bright one, especially as a kid. Even after he was diagnosed he still dreamt of being a hero, of saving lives like All Might
"Bullshit." He sneered to himself as the teacher began to drone on about science and whatnot. "He's stupid if he even considers applying to UA, he'll make a fool of himself and me."
"Cause I'm gonna be the number one hero some day, and I don't want to be swept up with the likes of him!"
Izuku was too stunned to move. He stared blankly at the chalkboard with tears flowing down his face, both unable and unwilling to stop them. His fragile world had finally fallen apart, and the last bit of naive hope for his future was snuffed out in front of him
"I could never be a hero..."
As the quirkless kid quietly sobbed to himself, the rest of the class ignored him, out of pity or out of spite. Some thought he was being pathetic and others thought he was tragic, but neither of the two people decided to help him
"Hey." A boy whispered to Bakugo. "Wasn't that a little harsh? Even by your standards."
"Shut it extra." He clapped back, but trying to lower his voice. "He's not some kid anymore, and it's about time he learned his damn lesson."
Elsewhere, in a run down apartment, a frail man made his way inside to rest. The apartment itself wasn't too bad, but it's poor state was primarily due to the owner having no time throughout the day to clean and maintain it, leaving it dirty and a complete mess. Clothes were left sprawled on the floor, a small mountain of dishes sat in the sink, a dust bunny floated across the floor with nothing to get rid of it
This is where the number one hero lives, hidden from the rest of the world. The place represented both his private life as well as his inability to take care of himself due to the pressure of the crowd. So goes the burden of the symbol of hope. Even though he was more than capable of flaunting his status and wealth, he willingly chose to live in a humble apartment in the center of the city, pulling himself down for the sake of the people
"Umph...I needed that..." He deeply sighed as he laid on his dusty couch, taking a good sniff before he stood back up and plug his nose. "The thing smells like crap."
Grunting in minor pain, the hero got up from his seat and stood to take a good look at the state of his apartment. This was by no means the way that the number one hero should be living in. But at the same time, this would be typical for a person like Toshinori Yagi, a fragile man with a disability. He not only spent too much time outside rather than inside, he also couldn't fit the mountain of chores into his daily schedule
"I can't keep this up, not for long..."
Inwardly, Toshinori sighed deeply as he took in the full meaning of his own words. Ever since his injury he's become less and less capable of transforming into his powered up state, and with every day it's become harder for him to keep up his appearance as All Might in front of the crowd
Sadly, it was time that he find someone to pass the torch to, like his mentor before him. The problem was, it was damn near impossible to find anyone who was truly worthy of One for All, especially since he was practically the biggest celebrity out there. He was greater than a household name by now, and anyone would want to take his powers without a second thought
"Like that kid from yesterday."
As far as fans go, that boy was the boldest and bravest one he's seen in years. By what he understood, he looked up to him his entire life dreaming of being a hero. It's a shame that his hero, of all people, had to be the one to tell him he couldn't become one at all, especially since he was quirkless
"But it had to be done." He rationalized, still feeling the burning shame in himself for having to crush someone's dream. "I can't in good faith send that kid into something he's not at all prepared for. He's better off as a civilian, out of harms way."
Even then, Toshinori couldn't forgive himself for what he did. It crushed him to know that he let down someone who admired him so much, and for his greatest fan to be told by their hero to stop following their dream...it takes a certain type of strength to look past it all
To distract himself he made his way to his room in order to prepare himself for his new job. A while ago he finally agreed to become a teacher at UA high school in order to teach the new generation. But also, he hoped that he could find the next bearer of One for All too. But with his form becoming harder to sustain every day, he'd be lucky if he could finish the year without giving in
The hero reached into his large closet and pulled out a bright yellow suit with stripes on it. It was made from a solid material, and the greatest benefit was its ability to extend enough for him to transform safely without tearing the suit
Just to test it out, Toshinori changed into the fine, freshly pressed suit. It was a massive step up from his usual baggy clothes that he always wore to prevent his transformation from tearing apart anything, but it still fit him a little big in most places
Stepping in front of a mirror, Toshinori watched as his body grow nearly twice its size and thrice its width, powering to become the mighty All Might. His blonde hair rose energetically, his two 'ears' standing proud without any drooping. His chest, arms and legs grew in size and gained lots of definition, contrast to the twigs that they were before. And lastly, his great smile returned to him, almost sparkling in his reflection. 'All Might' stood in front of Toshinori boasting a confidence that he didn't truly posses, a strength that was only temporary. It felt natural for him to smile so wide when he was in his form, who wouldn't when they had the body of a Greek God?
"I Am Here!!" He boasted proudly with a deep, booming voice. Everything from the suit to his body shone in the light like it hadn't before. He looked so professional, so powerful in the mirror that he couldn't help but smile a little more than normal
But then, in the blink of an eye, it all vanished. In a puff of steam and smoke his muscles shrank, his hair fell and his smile was wiped away. He spout blood from his mouth and accidentally spilled some on his new suit
"Crap!" He exclaimed, grabbing a small towel immediately and dabbing the stain
Eventually, Toshinori was able to look into the mirror again and see who he truly was without the All Might persona, a fraile, weak man. His suit no longer glimmered with the same brilliance as before, his body seemed to barely fill in the gaps of his large suit. His face was now ragged with a bit of blood and large eye bags. He was a complete contrast to how he looked a second ago, how the symbol of hope was supposed to look
"I have to find a new symbol of hope...someone that knows and understands what it takes to be a hero that everyone relies on..." He explained
But all would come in due time. For now, he had to wait for the selection of the newest UA students, and that wasn't until a while from now
"For now...I gotta clean those dishes." He grumbled, removing his suit and placing it back into the closet
All would come in due time. But for now, the fate of the world of heroes as well as the lineage of One for All rested in his meek hands
That same day Izuku walked his way home with a reddened face. His constant crying prevented him from listening to the lecture properly, and even Bakugo and his friends didn't bother him after class, leaving him alone to cry for another while
It was hard for him not to cry. After all, it felt like his soul was torn to shreds, his entire purpose for living had disappeared entirely, and his life no longer had meaning. No matter how impossible it sounded, nor how childish it was, Izuku always dreamt of become a pro hero like All Might. Sure he wouldn't be like him exactly but surely there was a way for a quirkless kid to become a hero. Maybe through gadgets? Martial arts? It didn't matter, so long as he could help others
But now that was gone, his impossible, daring dream was gone. No ceremony, no music, no warning. Izuku just stopped believing, as simple as that. He gave into the constant criticism from Bakugo and others and finally accepted it
He wasn't going to be a hero
Just thinking about it made a fresh wave of tears form on his face. He was so sick of crying by now, but whenever he thought back to his dream being a mere myth, his was heart filled with an indescribable pain like nothing before. It was like his life no longer had any meaning, no purpose behind actions, everything was for nothing
Eventually Midoriya made it back home in one peace, or at least relatively so. As he set his backpack to the ground to grab his house keys he realized something
"Crap, my backpack's open." He thought, looking inside of it and discovering that he was now missing one of his research journals
"Dang, I can't believe I lost it. Hopefully I can find it again soon, or make another one." He concluded half-heartedly, not motivated to do either of those things
As he finally opened the door he was immediately greeted by his mom, who wore an apron over her usual clothes. Much like him she had green hair and green eyes, appearing like an older, more feminine version of Izuku, or technically he was a carbon copy of her. Even though she got fatter in recent years, she's still the exact same person she was since Izuku was born, so cheerful and supportive. Her face was bright with joy at seeing her son return home
"Honey you're back! I made food already so come and eat." She exclaimed, only for her smile to fade away. Ever inquisitive she noticed that Izuku lacked the same smile that he wore every day. "What's wrong? Are you sick? Your face is all red."
Worriedly, Inko led her son to the couch and sat him beside her, trying to get an answer for whatever was going on. Recently he's been coming home with minor bruises and some cuts, but just yesterday he said that his favorite notebook was destroyed in his hands. She didn't know what was going on with Izuku, and he always refrained from telling her out of shyness, but as his mother it's been long enough that she's stayed silent
"Please tell me honey. Are-are the kids at school bullying you?"
"No no, it's not that." Izuku lied, trying to defuse the situation at least a little bit, even though bullying was part of the problem. "It's something else, something that's been bothering me."
"What is it? You know you can tell me anything."
Izuku sighed deeply as his anxiety rose. It was hard to speak out his problems to anyone, let alone his own mother. But this new pain that he felt, the emptiness in his stomach that felt like a void inside of him, he had to tell her about it
"...Do you remember yesterday when I was saved from the sludge villain?"
"Yes, you came home with so many bruises I got worried." She responded. "Are you still hurt? Is that what this is?"
"No mom," he waved her off, "that's not all this is about. I never really told you who saved me did I?" He asked, but Inko only shook her head
"It was...All Might himself that saved me."
"What!" She exclaimed, in surprise and joy for her son. All Might saved him? "Is that true? How come you never told me about this?!"
"It's because of what happened after that I felt bad." He stated, making Inko's joy die down. What could've happened that would've made him so upset? After meeting his greatest hero?
"When I met him, I was so stunned with joy that I lost my mind, and after he tried to jump away I clung to him and followed him. I-I wanted to ask him an important question, one that I've thought about all of my life... I figured, as the number one hero he'd have the clearest answer."
"And what was it?"
"...Whether I could be a hero, even without a quirk."
The worried mom held her breathe when she heard the statement. She was well aware of her son's obsession with being a hero, despite the odds. Ever since he watched that video of All Might as a kid he's wanted more than anything to be a hero that inspired people like he did, it's become a rather unhealthy obsession really. His room was always stuffed with All Might figurines and posters, and countless merchandise of his favorite hero, all to reflect his dream of being one some day
But ever since he was diagnosed as quirkless, Izuku's life got harder. He started getting bullied in school by the quirked kids, and he even stopped being friends with Katsuki after a while. Even though Izuku never said it out loud, he's always struggled with bullying and being made fun of at school, and even though she's gone to the school numerous times for the teachers to do something it never stopped
And after everything, it was all because Izuku had a dream. A dream to help others, to save people
"...And what did he say?"
The thin, lanky frame of All Might stood before the doorway leading down the building. His thin body only barely took up the space of his oversized shirt and large cargo pants. He was a hollow imitation of All Might, but nonetheless real. The man behind the smile
"It's not bad to dream. But sometimes, you just have to be more realistic."
"He said...that my dreams should be realistic..."
Inko gasped in shock. All Might told him that? It must've devastating for him to hear that from his idol of all people
"Mom...will I ever be a hero..?"
"Oh sweety..."
The mother and son embraced each other emotionally as Izuku cried in her arms. She understood how fragile he was at the moment, how he was only now transitioning from the boy he's always been. But at the end of the day...it was all a part of growing up. Izuku wasn't a kid anymore to be imagining himself play hero. Heck, most people who imagine themselves to be heroes just don't last, quirk or not
So in the nicest way possible...Inko had to be the final blow to his lifelong dream
"Izuku...I know this must be hard for you, but as your mother I can't let you go out there on your own and get hurt like that." She stated kindly, taking into account her son's broken heart. "I don't think you'll be a hero like All Might, but you'll be a hero in your own way..."
"What?"
"Powers or not your my Izuku, and I'm confident that a boy like you can change a life, not like a hero...but as yourself. So please...don't stop helping other people, be your own hero."
The words were a little hard to process for the young boy, and quite frankly he just couldn't understand them. Be a hero...without being a hero? That was impossible! How could he save people like a hero if he wasn't going to be one? In a world full of superheroes anyone that ever wanted to be a hero was always out saving people daily, like the Pros who always used their quirks to save people from villains and disasters
...How could he save people if he wasn't strong enough to do so..?
"Thanks mom...that helps a lot..." Izuku lied. As much as his mom did her best to help he just couldn't see what she meant at all...and quite frankly he started to believe that she was wrong
"It's going to be okay Izu. Let's have some dinner to help you relax." She smiled encouragingly
"Yeah...thanks mom..."
"Hm...was the fridge always this small?"
Currently, as the sun set to set and the night crept in, the number one hero was busy reorganizing his house. On his day off no less
He was able to do so much with the time he set for himself, sweep the house, dust it, organize it, clean dishes, etcetera etcetera. By the time he finished it was almost sparkling clean, though his fridge was actually filled to the brim with spoiled take-out that went bad a while ago, plus the groceries that he accidentally left yesterday were still missing
"There's nothing much again. *Sigh* Serves me right for leaving the groceries in the middle of the street again."
Toshinori huffed as he walked over and slumped in his couch, tired from the busy day. If it weren't for his busy lifestyle he'd be able to properly spend his heroing funds on genuine meals, but not only does he still need to practice his cooking a bit but he usually can't go a minute without being called to the streets. It wasn't all bad, but his house certainly didn't look the part of the number one hero
"Part of the job I guess. I'm so busy saving people I don't have time to myself." He thought
His mind flashed back to the green haired boy he let down yesterday. He spent all of yesterday and today mulling his decision and choice of words, wondering HOW he was supposed to answer such a question
"Can I be a hero like you? Without a quirk?"
But when he looked at his surroundings, a clean appartment with an empty fridge, as well as what it cost him to get there...it just didn't add up
Being a hero was more than just running away from a burning building carrying fifty people at once, it was about skill, hardwork and dedication. When most people think of 'hero' they don't expect to see a fraile man struggle to get up in the morning because his lungs were acting up again, but the amount of dedication he had was what pushed him out of his house and into the street every day. It was what made him the number one hero, and the symbol of peace. He was able to push everything aside, the pain, the struggle, the sacrifice, to save people every day. And that wasn't something that he could inheritintly expect from another hopeful boy
"I don't know what he's really like...but I don't want him to turn into this. I don't want anyone to turn out like this..."
He still debated with himself if what he said was right or wrong. Did he need to say more? To explain himself? It still wasn't something that sat right with Toshinori. But for the moment...he believed he made the right choice
Eventually Toshinori finally picked up the remote control beside him and turned on the T.V. The most immediate program was the news
"That's right folks there's currently a massive police chase going on with a villain quirk user in the district of Musutafu." The news reporter blared as the camera framed a high speed chase going on
"That's not far from here. It'll only take me a minute or two if I push myself..." Toshinori thought as he instinctively rose from his couch and walked out the door
"All is in the day of the symbol of peace...can't catch a break."
Night had fallen over Izuku's home, but he remained restless. The thoughts that came to him were too confusing, and too painful for him to sit still. So, while his mom was dead asleep he snuck out, careful not to wake her
It was his first time sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night, unlike other kids his age he was heavily rule abiding. But at the current moment, he desperately needed to get some fresh air. Wearing a dark green hoodie of his, black shorts and his favorite red shoes, Izuku wandered away from his apartment, making sure not to stray too far or get lost. Then again, it wasn't like leaving his home was a novel experience
While the middle schooler walked around he took note of his surroundings, the lack of light that would otherwise brighten his environment, the missing abundance of people that would normally be up and about in the street. All of which were gone. But the most important part, and the scariest, were the lack of heroes too. Heroing in the night wasn't exactly rare, but the less people around normally meant there were less people that needed saving, so in turn there were less heroes. Still, crime wasn't particularly high anyway, but the fact that there wasn't someone around the corner who could protect him was worrying in a way
Regardless, Midoriya pressed on, bothered more by his own emotions than by his surroundings. While he was young, he didn't look too different from the other few strangers that would wander around the city as well, he blended right in for once. To distract himself he went to the heart of the city to see the artificial lighting of the city district. Such large spanning roads, tall standing buildings, all lacking the overpopulated crowd under the LED lamps that were scattered everywhere
Aside from the emptiness there was also the faint rinigng of several police sirens in the distance, most likely a police chase. But none of the people around paid any attention to it, so neither did Izuku. The heroes can handle it
"It sure is ominous...kinda scary actually." He said out loud, hearing the light echo of his voice through the empty city block
"You learn to get used to it, one way or another."
The startled boy jumped as he turned to see the person behind him, not expecting anyone to be so close without him realizing. Before him stood a tall man with a shadowy head and yellow eyes. By the looks of it his quirk acted like a weird cloud that covered his face and hands, hiding them under darkness, held together by his clothes and the large metal device on his neck. Otherwise, the man wore a bartender-esc outfit, the white dress shirt, black pants, black vest, red tie, all appeared to be what a normal bartender would wear
"Who are you?"
"Forgive me for startling you, I'm Kurogiri. I didn't see you there at first, the mistake is mine." The dark mist man apologized purfously as he bowed his head
"Oh, no it's okay, I wasn't paying attention either." Izuku calmed down. "I'm Izuku Midoriya, sorry for that."
The man was taken aback a little by the mention of the boy's name, but pressed on. "Well Midoriya, you look too young to be out so late. Is there any reason for that?"
"It's nothing really, I just wanted to clear my head."
"Under the cover of night?" The man questioned, sounding reasonably suspicious
"Or...I guess you could say it's a personal problem...I'm still not too sure what to think of it."
"If it's so detrimental then why not tell me? I'm a good listener."
Izuku took a moment to consider whether he wanted to say something so personal to a stranger, but at the same time he was already in the middle of the near empty city. Plus the man was so nice and understanding, what harm would there be in telling a kind stranger about his problem?
"Well...its always been a dream of mine to become a hero, ever since I was a little kid. But now...now I can't become one like I wanted, I can't save people like everyone else does."
"And why not?" The man prodded further
"...Because I'm quirkless. I don't have any special powers like the rest of the world does." He revealed, but the man didn't seem too surprised. "I want to save people like the pro heroes do, but without powers I'm just useless. How can a kid like me save people?"
The man seemed to pause as he stared at the emotional young boy before him. But after what seemed like a deal of consideration, the man had something to say
"Your ordeal is a detremental one. You have the soul of a hero, but lack the strength to see it through." He said
"You really think so?"
"I do." Kurogiri replaied before he looked around the empty street around them. "And if you want the answer to your problem, I have just the solution."
The clothed mist-man walked into a dark alley, away from the open city street. Izuku was both confused and a little scared for what it entailed, but then he thought about what he could gain
"The answer to my problem? About being a hero?" He thought worryingly as he found himself walking behind Kurogiri. His mind was softly telling him to run the opposite direction, but his heart...his heart was telling him to see what his 'answer' really was
"Could I really become a hero?"
"In here young Midoriya." The man said as he pointed towards a large patch of his own mist that created what looked like a portal. "Through this portal there is a man who's waiting to see you. Take it and you'll find the strength to become something more, to achive your dream. Leave it, and you'll abandon that dream you hold so dear forever."
Midoriya was faced with what was possibly the scariest decision of his life. Logically speaking his mind was now screaming at him to run away, to not fall for such an obvious trap. He knew that this was a blind kidnapping, and if he were to take the portal he couldn't imagine himself leaving in one piece. What if there was actually a villain on the other side?
"Waiting to see me..." He thought as he stared at the empty patch of purple void, calling his name to go through
His heart was in a different place than his mind, it always was really. The chance to become something more? Could this stranger really claim something so massive from a kid like him? A quirkless? He knew that he was useless, he always knew, but that portal...maybe it had something in store for him...
Yet the more he thought about it, the more his heart took over for him. He didn't want to abandon his dream, he wanted to cling to it desperately for as long as he could. If this was the answer to his problem, what would keep him motivated for the rest of his life, his purpose...then he was willing to risk it
"Here goes nothing." He decided as he inched towards the mysterious portal. When he stepped through he disappered from sight, and soon after Kurogiri did as well
As the two disappeared, a large, buff man wearing black cargo shorts and a white T-shirt landed on top of the roof beside the alleyway. The man jumped down onto the alleyway with a hard crash and as the man made his way out his body began to deflate as his muscles and height both shrank in size, letting out a puff of smoke as he does so. This was followed by a feirce coughing fit
"That- *Cough* *Cough*-takes care of it- *Cough*!" The man stated outloud. Luckily he landed in a very quiet part of the district, otherwise there'd normally be suspicious glances coming from all over
"I need to get a cab before it gets too late." He thought as he reached into his pocket to find...nothing. No wallet, no phone, no keys
"Not again..."
In a dark, obscured room with no light at all Izuku appeared through a portal that was nearly just as dark. When the boy entered he was surprised to be surrounded in darkness, unable to see anything at all, not even his arms
"This was a mistake." He regretted almost immediately as dread took over, it was like a nightmare was nearby, hidden inside the darkness. Although Izuku couldn't tell where he was, he just knew that there was someone dangerous near him. Maybe even in the same room...
"Hello? A-Anyone there?" He shouted, hearing his voice echo along the walls
"So...you must be Izuku Midoriya." A voice said from behind him, one that was silky and elegant, but commanded respect and oozed power. Out of fear alone Izuku whipped around and bowed to honor the man in hopes that he doesn't hurt him
"I-I-er-yeah-YES! That's...my name." He stumbled through his words, picking and choosing them with express care
"There's no need to fear me young boy, I was just looking for you."
"Y-you were?"
"Yes I was. You see, I've had my eye on you ever since I found this lovely journal of yours." He stated. "It's a wonderful piece of work, and when I found that the author of such a journal was only a middle schooler I just had to send someone to search for you."
"My missing quirk journal." He realized, making him a little sick to his stomach. "He found my journal and wanted to see me?!?"
The atmosphere was more than a little tense, shrouded in darkness with only a menacing voice to listen too, it was as though he was thrusted straight into a nightmare with his eyes closed
"Oh? Silly me, I forget that others can't see in the dark." The man said as suddenly the dim lights came on to provide some illumination. Though it wasn't much better than before, Izuku could now see a little bit of the man that was talking
From what he could gather, the man had a bald, wrinkly head with no eyes at all. He wore what seemed to be a black suit that disappeared under the darkness, and right beside him was medical equipment, mainly an oxygen mask. The sight of the man was much less frightening than what the boy could imagine, but no less scary and far more ominous than before
"My apologies, I lost my eyes a long time ago and hence learned to see in the dark." He explained before he got back to business. "So, by what Kurogiri has told me, you seek to become a hero? Even though you're quirkless?"
"That's right...sir!"
"I see, you remind me of someone I once knew. A noble soul...it's a shame that he was so misguided. Just like you...misguided by the society we live in."
"W-What do you mean?" Midoriya asked, mustering the courage to speak out
"You say you wish to save people like the bright and shiny heroes, but with your...disability of sorts, you've been casted aside from the society you live in. You want to save people...but the cruel hearts of man only judge you for your dreams."
Izuku was more frightened than ever now. How was this man able to collect so much information on him? How did he know more than what he told Kurogiri? Was he spying on him?!
"Yet you fail to see your own worth as well. These notes of yours...you possess a special talent that no one else has, at such a young age even. It'd be a great shame to let it go to waste under a society in which no one appreciates you for what you are."
"T-thank you?" Izuku responded, unsure as to where this is going
"But you've come to me for strength haven't you? You wanted to become more than what you were, what others saw in you? You have a dream worth clinging to, and while others spit in your face YOU continue to dream!"
"Yes!"
"I see. Just as I remember him..." The man commented with a smile. "Well then you've made the right decision. Because now, you shall be my pupil, and your skills shall serve me well."
Izuku felt overjoyed for a second before his logical mind finally took a stand against him. How could he accept such a deal? The lights, the stalking, the ominous tone of voice, the fear he felt even now
He was speaking to the most villainous man he could think of
"Wait!" Izuku mustered every ounce of courage within him. "But you're a villain aren't you?"
"Does that lower your opinion of me?"
"I just...I can't see how I can be a hero if you're a villain. I don't...I don't want to be evil like you!" Izuku declared with all his remaining strength, followed by the immense horror that came with his decision. He just spoke out! Was this guy about to kill him!?
Instead, the man only chuckled a little, in such a way that confused Midoriya. He couldn't tell if what he said was funny, or if he just made the worst mistake of his life
"I admire your courage, but you are misinformed." He declared. "Because not all villains are evil."
"They're not?"
"No, not at all. Just misunderstood. Villains are called so because they've been thrown away by society. Just like you." He declared. "Being a villain doesn't make you evil, it's just a narrative that was made by heroes to justify the cruelty that we endure for being 'villains'"
"So then...how am I supposed to save people if I'm a villain."
"That's an easy question. You can save people by being yourself, by helping other villains endure the struggle that goes with being outcasts. You can save people from the society that we live in."
Izuku couldn't understand what the man was saying, it sounded so complex and unreasonable that it frankly confused him. Villains weren't evil? So then why were heroes always fighting them? Why was the world so bent on destroying villainy if not because it was sheer evil?
"So, Izuku Midoriya. Will you become my pupil?"
The question hung in the air coldly as Izuku stared at the floor in contemplation. This all sounded so wrong that it made him shake a little. How could he become a villain? He wanted to be a hero! He didn't want to fight heroes, he wanted to become one! To save people like All Might, not go against him!
Yet he could at least marginally understand what was being said. He was an outcast, always has been. He didn't know what this man wanted from him aside from using his skills in observation and analysis, but he understood what he was helping him do, helping him achieve
"I'm confident that a boy like you can change a life, not like a hero...but as yourself. So please...don't stop helping other people, be your own hero."
His mother's words rang as he looked up to see the man that was finally reaching a hand out to him. Maybe he didn't know what it was to be a villain, or even a hero for that matter, but he knew that he wanted more than anything to save people
Izuku Midoriya looked at the mysterious man with confidence, his chest puffed out and standing tall, trying not to show any fear
"I want to become your pupil. I want to learn what it means to be a villain, and I want to save people like me!"
"Good, very good." The man smiled. "My name is All for One, your new teacher. But you shall call me sensei!"