(A/N: Suprise early update for ya as a Christmas present! Enjoy!

There are a number of pov changes by the way. Oh and warning about references to the sludge villain just in case?)

...

"Lend me your power, Sensei."

"A wise decision, Shigaraki Tomura. Yes, I will lend you my power. Use it well."

Izuku gulped in an attempt to swallow down his terror. That was his voice. All For One's. His…father. Izuku hated knowing that now. His dad's voice had always been a comfort to him growing up. Now it only gave him pain.

Shigaraki grinned as he turned back to their captives.

"Kurogiri, Compress," the decayer said, beckoning his underlings. "It's time our party moves on. Take care of our guests."

The masked magician simply nodded and began walking towards Katsuki first. Izuku watched frozen as Compress held his hand up ready to use his Quirk and trap them like he had before. The Quirkless teen didn't even know what it did exactly or what it looked like. All he knew was that he hated that oppressive pressure that took away all his sense of the world. Izuku didn't want to experience it ever again.

Knock knock.

Compress was close to Katsuki with his hand outstretched when the knock came to the door. They all froze and stared at it unsure how to react.

"Hello?" a voice called out from outside. "Anyone there? I have a pizza delivery."

Nobody moved not sure what to do. Spinner leaned forward to see if he could hear anything, but as he did there was a loud BANG as the back wall suddenly caved in and bricks flew everywhere.

"SMASH!" All Might yelled as he punched his way into the bar.

The room fell into chaos. Spinner was sprawled on the floor in fear as others were forced back from the power of the punch.

"Kurogiri! Gate!" Shigaraki ordered in a shout.

But despite how good he was with his Quirk, Kurogiri never got the chance as Kamui Woods swung his way in through the hole All Might had just made.

Kamui had seen the boys before but always in the background as he patrolled in their area. It was hard to miss the blonde teen with the explosion Quirk. Admittedly using his Quirk without a license but kids were kids. Then there was the other one. Small and a bit skittish but there none the less. Hard to miss the one Quirkless kid among thousands of Quirked ones.

But then he suddenly wasn't in the background any more.

He won the Sports Festival without a Quirk and surprised everyone out of nowhere. Then Hosu happened, the mall, the attack on the kid's mother, and then the kidnapping. Midoriya Izuku was involved in a lot and attracting attention for it. Including the League of Villains. But regardless of what the media said and the speculations of his connections, Kamui had a job to do.

They needed to save him, both of them, and as a Hero he knew exactly what to do. So as soon as All Might had broken down the wall, Kamui unleashed his own attack.

"Pre-emptive Binding…"

Kamui shot out his arm and sent out multiple branches capturing the Villains.

"…Lacquered Chain Prison!"

Dabi on instinct ignited his Quirk to burn his way out but another Hero in yellow and white shot through the opening and kicked him in the head knocking him out. Ouch. Izuku was finally able to get a good look at him once he flew back across the room and landed next to All Might. Wait, he knew that Quirk!

Gran Torino!

Holy crap, Izuku never expected to actually meet him. Wasn't he retired? Wait, focus. Izuku shook himself out of the fanboy spiral and went to work. He dashed from the couch over to the still bound Katsuki and started searching his own hair for something. Katsuki glared at him in confusion as he watched him let out a triumphant gasp and held up a hairpin he had hidden. Thank goodness no one found it with all the Villains touching his hair. Which considering the fact three of them had done that was all down to luck.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Katsuki spat as Izuku got started on the lock.

"A trick I learned from my internship," Izuku replied, his tongue sticking out as he worked. "Aizawa insisted."

"Ha!" the blonde barked, now grinning fiercely. "Well, I'll be damned, nerd."

Izuku flashed him a proud smile as the lock clicked open and his hands were finally free. After that, they both worked quickly to remove his other restraints. Now they could both move with ease and help the Heroes save them.

Turning back to the fight, at this point it looked like the Heroes had already won. All of the Villains were captured though they still struggled in Kamui's wooden hold. Izuku had seen the move before even though Mt. Lady had ruined it to steal the spotlight. It was so much cooler to see it up close! If only he didn't have to get kidnapped in order to do so.

The Villains let out their complaints and disbelief they had planned this on the same day as the press conference. They had no idea the police had been so close. At least now they could be taken into custody for their crimes. Hopefully with some rehabilitation instead of straight imprisonment. Izuku could see they were just people who had been dealt a bad hand in life.

The young analyst caught a hint of movement and turned to see Edgeshot slip through the crack of the door. He had made himself paper thin with his Quirk and then expanded back to normal once inside. So cool! The Ninja Hero unlocked and opened the door to reveal armed officers on the other side. Wow, they really had a plan and came prepared. Even Endeavor was apparently downstairs according the Edgeshot. Not exactly who Izuku wanted to save him but he would take what they could get. As long as they could get out of here.

Izuku could hear the flame Hero yelling about something from outside but couldn't make it out. Not his concern right now as he and Katsuki surveyed the situation. All Might turned to them with his signature smile.

"You must have been scared," All Might said in his deep voice addressing the two teens. "But you remained strong. Our apologies we took so long. You're safe now, boys."

Katsuki had that face where he didn't want to portray any weakness. Izuku could sense he was about to have an outburst of denial so he placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Red eyes darted to his with a growl but as soon as he saw green, he forced himself to calm down.

"Thank you, All Might," Izuku said for him instead before looking at the other Heroes. "Thank you, everyone."

The Number One Hero shot him a thumbs up.

"No! I don't like this," Shigaraki growled from where he sat imprisoned on the floor. Hard red eyes glared up at All Might from behind Father. "After all of my preparations, the final boss shows up and ruins everything. Party restrained, no easy way to escape, and backup? Can't be helped. Kurogiri! Warp over as many as you can!"

Izuku's eyes shot to the warper after the decayer's manic command. He was still conscious and could easily warp in backup for the League, but nothing happened.

"The Noumu, right?" All Might prodded, his voice filled with confidence.

The seconds passed and still nothing happened. No warp gates opened and no Noumu appeared. It was pissing Shigaraki off.

"What are you waiting for, idiot!?" the decayer spat in anger.

"Apologies, Shigaraki Tomura," Kurogiri said, somehow having visible sweat on his misty face. "The Noumu are no longer in a fixed location. I cannot retrieve them."

"What," the Villain leader snapped.

"You still have a lot to learn, Shigaraki," All Might said as he walked over to stand behind Katsuki and Izuku placing his large hands on their shoulders in comfort. Izuku gladly took it while Katsuki reluctantly allowed it. "Your little League is still green and underestimated us all. The spirit of these boys, the police's diligent investigations, and our righteous fury!"

Over the earpieces, the Heroes heard the confirmation that Best Jeanist's team had managed to take control of the second hideout. Good. They didn't have to worry about Noumu running around causing havoc. The Number One Hero gave the teens' shoulders a pat before moving back in front of Shigaraki.

"Enough is enough," All Might said, his hands on his hips in his signature pose. His heroic spirit almost made him seem to glow. "Your game has come to an end, Shigaraki Tomura!"

...

The League members were terrified. Spinner was a blubbering mess staring up at the Number One Hero. But not Tomura. He was pissed. Livid. Absolutely hated the fake standing in front of him filled with ignorant pride. They weren't done yet. A quick glance at the TV screen that still showed 'sound only' meaning Sensei must still be watching.

Sensei…

"You think this is over?" Tomura sneered from the floor. "You idiot. I've only just begun to play."

The decayer struggled in the wood binding him and he forced himself to slowly stand up.

"Justice. Peace," Tomura ranted as he rose. "This society you've created is garbage. Ridiculous ideals that shit on those considered weak and worthless. That is why I targeted you, All Might. You're the reason why I started gathering people to my cause."

He managed to shakily get to his feet all while staring the Number One Hero down. Oh, how Tomura despised this man.

"You think this is the end?" the decayer rasped. "No, this is only the beginning. You've lost. KUROGIRI!"

As the Villain shouted the other's name, Edgeshot stretched himself to the width of string and pierced through the warper before he could make a move. Other than Dabi, his Quirk was one they had to get control of as soon as possible. A second later, Kurogiri slumped unconscious in Kamui Wood's grip.

"Ah! What just happened?" Magne cried out, thinking they had killed the misty man.

"Oh, he's very much alive," Edgeshot explained as he formed his head to its normal size. "Merely unconscious after playing around with his insides a little. Ninpo: Thousand Sheet Pierce! His Quirk is a liability so it's better for him to sleep."

Gah! These stupid Heroes with their stupid super move names. The noodle of a man, the woodsy fucker, and then there's Ass Might. Now they've taken their escape hatch? Fuck the Heroes. The old geezer with them started yammering and listing off his party members' legal identities. As if that meant anything to him.

"There's nowhere left to run," Gran Torino said, a scowl on his wrinkly face. "That leaves one question for you, Shigaraki? Where is your boss hiding?"

Tomura was so livid he was seeing white. He recalled the day All For One had found him.

'No one has come to save you, have they?'

No, they hadn't. He had been lost and alone. Ready to die having given up hope for any sort of help.

But then Sensei came.

'You didn't do anything wrong.'

All For One had offered his hand to a poor little Shimura Tenko and took him in when no one else seemed to care. He had lost hope but Sensei had reignited the spark.

'Don't worry. I am here for you.'

All For One raised him and helped form him into the Shigaraki Tomura he was today. He was more than a master and a mentor. Sensei was more like a father to him. His hero. Sensei would hate that comparison but it was true. All For One has done so much for Tomura and now these Heroes wanted him to betray his trust. Fuck that. No way would he tell them anything about Sensei.

"No, this is not over," Tomura growled, his anger jittery under his dry skin. "Just you wait. The game is still mine."

"Tell us where he is right now, Shigaraki," All Might demanded, his smile hard and antagonistic.

"Go away," the decayer breathed, his words coming out in a manic desperation. "Disappear!"

"SHIGARAKI!" Al Might bellowed.

"I HATE YOU!" Tomura screamed, his animosity rolling off of him in waves. "ALL OF THIS IS YOUR FAULT! I. HATE. YOU."

It was in that moment that things changed.

...

The Heroes watched as gooey splotches of black formed in the air and then screeching Noumu started coming through. Another warping Quirk? It couldn't be Kurogiri's because he was still passed out. Besides, these looked different from his misty warp gates. These were thick and liquidy, but the consistence was not the issue right now. Fuck, they had to deal with Noumu after all.

Izuku noticed they were all taken by surprise. The Heroes and the Villains. More and more portals appeared bringing more and more Noumu. They just kept coming! If the Heroes thought they had won, well then this must be the start of round two.

"Dammit, Edgeshot!" Gran Torino yelled in a scolding tone. "Stop Kurogiri!"

"It's not his Quirk!" Izuku exclaimed over the Noumu screaming. "Similar application but still different! It has to be someone else."

"The kid's right," Edgeshot confirmed. "He's still out. This isn't his doing."

Still didn't change the situation as the Noumu continued to appear. All Might was furious and turned to Kamui Woods.

"Don't release them under any circumstances, understood?" he ordered with a pointed finger.

"Right!" Kamui confirmed, reaffirming his grip.

Izuku was sickened to see more creatures who were once human being forced to do the League's bidding. He could feel the bile rising in his throat no matter how much he tried to swallow it down. Izuku was then struck by the urge to puke and the same black goo came spewing out of his mouth. It was disgusting and grotesque. Izuku also felt triggered as the consistency reminded of the Sludge Villain that had tried to force himself inside the teen over a year ago.

Make it stop!

"Midoriya! Bakugou!" he could hear All Might call out.

Izuku only had time for the briefest of glances to see the same thing happening to Katsuki before the black substance consumed him.

...

"NOOO!" All Might howled in anger.

Toshinori had been so close. Within arm's length and yet he still wasn't able to catch them in time. All he got was an arm full of black goo.

DAMMIT!

"Endeavor!" Kamui called out. "Help us!"

Only for him to see that more Noumu were appearing in the street below. How many did they have of those things?! The police were firing their weapons at the monsters but it had little effect as they kept advancing. Endeavor was hard at work burning any of them that were close to him. They would have to deal with the ones upstairs themselves.

Shit.

Down below, Endeavor gave orders to evacuate taking charge of the situation. Tsukauchi realized they must be the Noumu from the other site and urgently talked into his shoulder walkie to get in contact with Best Jeanist. What the hell was going on over there? But there was no answer. Present Mic did his best to help at least immobilize the creatures making them freeze in pain by screaming at a pitch too high for regular human ears.

Above, Gran Torino was jetting around kicking between the Noumu. He landed next to All Might after he punched another away from him.

"What now, Toshinori?" Gran Torino asked, keeping his eye on the new fight they had found themselves in. He had a feeling their earlier success had been too easy a victory.

"Without Kurogiri, they shouldn't have been able to warp the Noumu here," All Might answered, his body ready for battle. "This backup came way too fast."

It's as I feared. All For One must have made a move.

"Sensei…," Shigaraki spoke reverently amongst the chaos confirming the dreadful thought.

It was then that the same black ooze started bursting out of the League members' mouths just like with Bakugou and Midoriya. The Heroes were shocked by yet another wrench thrown into their plans to rescue the teenagers. Gran Torino was quick to jump into action and All Might followed right behind him. They needed to stop them before they escaped to gods knew where. All Might was even willing to pass through the strange Quirk to an unknown location so he could continue his pursuit to take Shigaraki and his followers down.

But just as the Number One Hero reached the young Villain leader, Shigaraki disappeared in the black goo and again all All Might grabbed was a handful of goo floating in the air as the portal broke. The other League members followed leaving behind Noumu and empty loops of Kamui's branches.

"NO!" the young Hero exclaimed in dismay. "I'm so sorry!"

"This wasn't your fault, Kamui," Edgeshot insisted though he too was feeling some guilt that they managed to get away. However, he ignored the feeling as he jumped out of the way of a charging Noumu. "None of us were able to stop them."

Edgeshot transformed with his Quirk and shot through the Noumu like an arrow to take it down causing it to give a shriek before falling limp.

"Kurogiri's Quirk allows him to open warp gates that anyone can pass through," Edgeshot continued as he reformed his head. "But this Quirk is different. It seems to target specific people."

Astute observation, All Might thought as the Noumu continued to rage out of control.

A number of them leapt at him and latched on to his back. Gran Torino cried out in concern for his old friend's successor but there was no way All Might would allow himself to be taken down by mere Noumu.

"Oklahoma," All Might bellowed as he powered up his attack. "SMASH!"

The Number One Hero spun around fast enough to throw the Noumu off of him and out of the building. The creatures burst through the ceiling and the walls falling down to the streets below. The police were continuing to fire their weapons at the Noumu but still no effect. Endeavor was having the most success burning them to a crisp with his fire. Present Mic did his bit repeatedly screaming at the Noumu at that same inaudible pitch immobilizing them with the painful noise.

The Noumu were everywhere down on the streets. Which could only mean that Best Jeanist had failed at the warehouse for unknown reasons. Endeavor complained how much stress was being put on his Quirk as he fought Noumu after Noumu. All Might would stay and help but he needed to chase after the boys and the League. He'd have to motivate Endeavor to keep fighting without him and he knew exactly how to do that.

Coughing partially from the smoke and from keeping his buff form up, All Might moved to stand in the hole he had made in the wall.

"Endeavor!" he called out catching the fiery man's attention. "Are you keeping up?"

Toshinori knew Endeavor wanted to surpass him. How could he not know with how his fellow Hero fought fiercely in every fight. Always pushed himself to fight harder especially when he and All Might were paired up. His personality was as fiery as his Quirk and quick to ignite at the slightest provocation. Yes, Toshinori knew exactly how to motivate him and the scowl on the other Hero's face was evidence that it worked.

"Do I look like I'm having trouble?" Endeavor growled up at him as he was surrounded by downed Noumu that were being served extra crispy. "Concern yourself with your own responsibilities, you damn fool. Go! Now is the time to go after them."

He punctuated his response with a blast of fire at two Noumu coming at him from above. All Might nodded and knew he was leaving the scene in capable hands. He even noted the other Heroes hard at work taking the Noumu down. Very well then, it was time to track down the ones that got away.

"Right," All Might nodded, readying himself for the chase. "I'll leave you to it then."

With a blast of air, he leapt into the night sky and raced towards the direction of the second raid location. Gran Torino followed not far behind as he focused on jumping from building to building. He had to get there in time to save those innocent boys from the dastardly Villains' hands. Not even All For One was going to stop All Might from accomplishing that task.

I'm coming for you, young Heroes. Be strong and have faith. For I am here to save you.

...

Noumu. They had gone out of their way to come to this warehouse in search of Izuku and all they found were fucking Noumu. Hitoshi hadn't been there when the Noumu first appeared at the USJ but Izuku told him about the creature made to withstand All Might. Seeing them in Hosu had definitely not been a treat. Especially when one of them tried to take his brother away to gods knew where. Well at least they knew one thing and that was Izuku wasn't here. Just the Noumu as far as Mei and Kirishima could see.

There was a loud thud that came from nearby and they turned to see a giant foot sporting a pickup truck like a shoe rising up into the sky. That enormous leg could only belong to Mt. Lady which meant Heroes were there. The truck covered foot then came crashing down and broke through the building. Tenya had a fleeting hope that hadn't been a civilian's car but was distracted like the others by the resulting cloud of dust and debris that suddenly filled the air. The wind backlash was strong enough to knock Mei and Kirishima off the others' shoulders as they all fell over to the ground.

As the scene settled and the Heroes moved in, the teens righted themselves before moving to a place they could better assess the situation while still hidden. Once they could see better, Hitoshi noted Mt. Lady holding a couple of Noumu in disgust. Tiger was there too picking up Ragdoll who had been missing until now. Then Best Jeanist captured the rest of the Noumu with Gang Orca's help. It looked like they had everything under control in less than a minute.

That's Pros for you, I guess.

From their hiding spot, they could hear Mt. Lady complaining about how gross the Noumu were. She was now holding a total of three who were squirming in her giant grip as she whined about it not being much of a fight. Best Jeanist admonished the rookie about the difference between difficulty and importance before ordering for the transports. From experience, he knew to expect the unexpected. There was a potential for more unknown obstacles in their mission and they had to keep up their guard. Not all was as it seemed.

The teens watched Tiger worry over his teammate while Gang Orca did his best to comfort the other Hero. They couldn't see much of Ragdoll but the glimpse of her being wrapped in nothing but a white sheet didn't look like good news. At least it seemed like she was still breathing so there was that.

"Looks like everything is fine," Tenya whispered with a sigh of relief. "The Heroes had a plan all along even before we did."

The speedster stiffly held up an arm as he smiled in relief. Kirishima did as well except with a manly fist instead. Yaoyorozu was also relieved that they didn't actually have to do anything. After all, it was now evident that they had nothing to worry about because the Pros had a handle on it all. But even though it seemed that way, Mei, Shouto, and Hitoshi couldn't quell the worry that still burned inside them for their fourth Freakateer.

Where are you, Izuku?

It was the whole reason they had come here. To save Izuku along with Bakugou from the League, but if there was only Noumu and the officials had it under control, what could they do to help? The two class representatives were ready to get the hell out of there, but Hitoshi didn't want to just yet. The brainwasher was still processing what had all just happened.

Izuku wasn't here but the Noumu were. There were crashes they could hear across town which to Hitoshi meant All Might was fighting somewhere. Was he where Izuku was? He said as much out loud and the others were relieved by just the thought of All Might's involvement. But Hitoshi wasn't because he knew how much of an idiot the Number One Hero could be at times. He certainly didn't trust him when it came to Izuku for all that All Might had done to his brother. The brainwasher meant it when he had threatened the Hero after Hosu.

The others turned to leave but Hitoshi couldn't help look back. Behind him Shouto and Mei did the same out of concern for their friend. There was a strange feeling in the air. The Noumu had grown oddly quiet and the Heroes were focusing on the shadowy depths of the ruined warehouse. There was the faintest sound of footsteps as something or someone emerged from the shadows.

"Apologies, Tiger," a deep voice called out. Just the sound of it sent a shiver down everyone's spines. "But Ragdoll's Quirk was too useful to pass up. How could I not fall to temptation to take it?"

Take it?

The wording was strange and Hitoshi's reaction to the man's voice was even stranger. Considering the circumstances whoever it was must be a Villain tied to the League. But on the other hand, for some weird reason the voice sounded familiar in a way. Which couldn't be because he didn't know who this man was nor did he know any Villains.

Who am I? Izuku?

The sarcastic thought snuck in as the Heroes began interrogating the newcomer. They still had no idea who it was approaching as it was too dark to see.

"My body was almost destroyed," the voice spoke, tone deep and ominous. "Ever since, I haven't had the chance to stock up on Quirks."

Stock up?

Hitoshi felt like Izuku as his mind started piecing together what the Villain was saying. Take? Stock? Did he mean he could take Quirks from people? It sounded impossible but then again…

The Villain finally stepped into the light and Best Jeanist took immediate action. He took hold of as many fibers as he could and encased the unknown threat from head to toe in Quirk controlled thread. From behind him, Mt. Lady started chastising him for his brash actions but Best Jeanist knew when to act and when to wait. A single moment of hesitation could be the deciding factor in a fight. He was fighting his hardest just to keep a tight hold on the Villain.

Best Jeanist felt like he had it under control until a sort of black energy lined with red started emitting from the bound man. It all happened too suddenly for the teens to see. There was a flash of white and a loud BOOM filled the air followed by a cloud of dust. As it settled, what had been one ruin of a building was now expanded into a disaster zone. Hopefully they had evacuated the area of civilians.

Dozens of buildings were turned to piles of rubble and Best Jeanist was down in the forefront of it. Mt. Lady, Gang Ocra, and Tiger who was covering Ragdoll protectively were thankfully out of the way. But how? Hitoshi couldn't be sure exactly but they watched as the Villain started to fucking slow clap of all things while floating in midair.

"I see now why you are the Number Four Hero, Best Jeanist," the Villain said as he clapped for the blood covered Hero who was shaking in fear on the ground below him. "That attack should have annihilated you all, but you managed to manipulate the others' clothing in order to pull them out of the way just in time. You have quite astute instincts. Consider me…impressed."

The teens stared in horror at the scene. This man, this monster, had taken down multiple Pro Heroes in a single blast without as much as a scratch. He was even leering down at them as if he were a demon god among men. Not that they could see his face under the mask but his presence reeked of superiority. Hitoshi had experience in sensing that in others his whole life and clearly saw it in him.

Best Jeanist was just lying there in the dirt staring up at the man who had attacked them. Not surprising considering the power of the blast, but the Hero seemed to suddenly be filled with the urgent need to keep fighting as he forced himself up by his Quirk. The fibers from the back of his collar propped him up as he shot more at the Villain floating in the air.

But the attack never landed as another burst of air shot down at Best Jeanist and tore a hole through his gut. The ground seemed to explode under him as blood spurted out of him like a geyser. Unsurprising to see the Hero collapse from the pain officially taking him out of the fight. Gods damn this Villain was strong.

"Ah, I see now," he continued, his arm still raised from the attack. "Your strength isn't from raw power, but of practice and experience. There is no need for your Quirk. Tomura's disposition would not pair well with it."

The blast had cleared the air of dust enough for them to get a better look of the Villain. He was in a simple black suit as if he were a mere business man dressed for work, but the mask marked him for what he clearly was. Evil. It was black in color and intimidating in appearance. There were tubes and armor on his head and neck. Whoever he was, he was really playing up the Villain look.

The teens were all scared shitless. Who the hell was this guy? Taking down those Pros in an instant? They so were not prepared to face someone like this. Hitoshi and the others knew they needed to run but they were so scared they couldn't move. Fuck fight or flight. They were all frozen in fear like prey being confronted by a predator.

Suddenly there were sounds of splashing followed by what sounded like two people caught in a coughing fit. One of them cursed and fuck that sounded like Bakugou. Which could only mean…

…Izuku.

His friend, his brother, just had to be on the other side of that wall. So close and yet still out of reach. A careful peak over the wall confirmed it by a flash of green and blonde amongst the rubble. Hitoshi clenched his fists in frustration as he latched onto the sound of Izuku coughing. At least he was still alive.

Please hold on just a little longer. We're here to save you.

Now all they had to figure out was how. It was time to think. Think, think, think.

What would Izuku do?

...

This stuff is disgusting, Izuku thought, coughing as the world came back into being.

The bar had been in chaos. Heroes attacking, Villains captured, and then Noumu suddenly appearing out of nowhere. The next thing Izuku knew was that same black goo that had brought those monsters started pouring out of his own mouth. Bad memories of the Sludge Villain flooded his mind as he gagged on the stuff. The world then suddenly became an inky black sea before he came back to one of ruin.

They were in what looked like one of the zones of the USJ. Buildings either in precarious positions or smashed to pieces. While trying to cough up what was left of the black goo, green eyes quickly assessed the situation. Katsuki was beside him hacking up a lung just like Izuku was but at least they were still together. He took note of the fallen Heroes nearby which wasn't a good sign. Then his shitbag of a Villain father had to speak up.

"My sincerest apologies, Izuku," All For One expressed though Izuku highly doubted he meant it. The imposter who had pretended to be his father started to approach them.

"Stay away from us, you bastard," Izuku growled, getting into a defensive stance which Katsuki quickly copied.

The rubble under his feet hurt since he still didn't have any shoes after Shigaraki destroyed his. Whatever this was they found themselves in was going to be tough. Izuku would have to power through the pain and fight his way out of this.

"Bastard?" the Villain questioned as he paused. His voice became low as if he were disappointed in him. "Is that any way to talk to one's own father?"

The Quirkless teen glared up at the man who had betrayed them and only used his mother for his own desires. Fuck him and his centuries old face lift hidden under his mask.

"You may be my father," Izuku hissed. "But you're not the dad I knew growing up."

"Oh but I am," All For One pressed. "Though not as played up in the civilian role as Hisashi. But I am still your father no matter how I portray myself to you. My DNA runs through your veins, Izuku, marking you as my son forever."

"Blood does not define one's family," Izuku retorted, thinking of Shouto and his crappy family upbringing. "It may mark our heritage but family can be chosen or rejected. You may see me as your son but I no longer see you as a father. You are a Villain to me. Nothing more."

His fists were clenched tight, or best as he could with the mangled one, and were shaking with anger. Beside him Katsuki was the same. He had never liked Hisashi growing up and now he knew why. Red eyes cast a glance at green before returning to scowl at the Villain.

"That is just your childish ignorance telling you that you have a choice," All For One scoffed dismissively. "But you are my son no matter what you think or say. You are destined to come back to me. It is useless to resist."

Like hell he was. Izuku would never join or become a Villain like him. He spat at All For One's feet in response. The Number One Villain shook his head in disappointment.

"Still stubborn I see," All For One mused solemnly. "But eventually you will see it is your destiny to join me. Together we can rule this world as father and son."

Izuku suddenly found himself remembering a movie made back in the pre-Quirk era. A universe at war, people having supernatural powers, and a young man who learned that his father was a Villain the whole time. Izuku even had a similar hand injury to the main character of the franchise.

When did my life become like Star Wars?

Though he doubted that this man, this monster who had played Villain since when Quirks first started appearing, would have any kind of redemption. All For One was even like a combination of Vader and the emperor in one. Had he ever done even one good thing in his long life?

He made you, a small voice said, attempting to be comforting. It wasn't. Not now that Izuku knew of this 'little' tidbit about his parentage.

And I thought Shouto had it bad. What will he think of me when he finds out the truth? What will the world think?

Izuku shuddered at the thought. If they reacted negatively to someone Quirkless being a Hero, even one who had proven above anything that would have been expected of anyone with a Quirk, who knows how they would react to that same person being the son of the boogie man of the underworld. The odds were not in his favor.

Thankfully there didn't seem to be anyone in sight except for the downed Heroes and Katsuki who already knew. For now, his secret was safe. Little did he know the group of teenagers on the other side of the wall staring at each other in disbelief. Holy shit that was a reveal. They were stunned into silence not knowing what would happen next.

Izuku glared at the bastard that was his father as he said, "Believe that all you want but I will never join you."

"Perhaps not now," All For One replied, a contemplating hand held in front of his masked chin. "But no matter where you run or try to hide, I will always be able to find you, Izuku. Tomura finding the training camp was by no accident."

A look of horror spread across the Quirkless teen's face. It must be one of his Quirks. One that allowed him to track Izuku somehow whether by blood or otherwise. He really was the reason for all of that to happen in more ways than one. Gods damn it all!

It was then that more black splotches of goo appeared and the League members came falling out just as they had. Spinner gagged while Himiko complained how gross the experience was. Which yeah, it very much was and left a horrible taste in his mouth. Twice couldn't seem to decide if he loved the black stuff or it reeked something awful. Magne and Compress were more composed while Dabi and Kurogiri were out cold.

"Sensei…," Shigaraki breathed reverently from where he was kneeling on the ground looking up at his master.

"Seems you have failed again, Tomura," All For One stated as he walked towards the decayer. "But do not let this discourage you. Try and try again. I even brought your associates back to assist you as well as these children you deemed important pieces for your game board."

The Number One Villain offered his hand to the young leader much as he had when All For One had first found him on the streets as a child. The only person in the world who had offered him any help when he needed it most.

Sensei…

"Start over as many times as it takes," All For One continued as his devoted successor gazed reverently up at him behind the hand of his father. "I am here to provide you with any help that you need. You were chosen for this, Tomura. All of this is for you."

I call bullshit, Izuku thought as just moments before All For One was saying he wanted Izuku next to him and yet seemed to be using Shigaraki for something.

The young analyst glanced at the decayer kneeling on the ground. Pale blue hair sitting tangled and unwashed. Face obscured by a severed human hand. Black clothes rumpled and frayed. Shoes as red as the blood he spilt in the name of destroying the world. So very different from himself.

And yet…not so different at the same time.

Izuku had taken note of the shoes at the mall as they were so similar to his own. Now that he knew about All For One being his father and Shigaraki seeing him as a brother, guess they had more in common than he thought. It made him wonder if had All For One decided to take Izuku away rather than raising him as he had with Inko, could he have potentially been in Shigaraki's place?

But why did All For One do that? What had he hoped to gain or accomplish raising Izuku like he did? The Villain could explain that he had wanted to see if All For One could have manifested again genetically. A copy of his own Quirk or similar, but Izuku was Quirkless and All For One had said it was most likely his fault. The whole first-generation genes mixing with fourth. However, that didn't explain why the Villain had left it at that.

All For One could have taken him and raised him just like Shigaraki. Could have even given him a Quirk and yet left him Quirkless. All to see what would happen to him with desires for him to fall to Villainy. A sudden thought occurred to him. All For One knew how Izuku had been treated growing up. Of the bullying and discrimination and yet had done nothing to stop it. Meaning he had to have seen it as fuel to push him towards the Villain path.

Jokes on you, Ass For One, Izuku thought rebelliously.

Instead of corrupting him and turning him away from this messed up world, it had only pushed him to work harder to become a Hero. And now he had a support system of friends and teachers for that dream. Izuku didn't need his father's half-hearted advice to try which was utter bullshit now because he never even meant it. He had people who believed in him and most of all Izuku believed in himself.

Though he did worry a little about his mentors learning about his connection to the Number One Villain. However, despite that Izuku knew they had to know. Hell, they knew about Chizome and that had been bad enough. This situation Izuku had no idea how to handle but maybe they would. Whatever happened, he would willingly be questioned by Tsukauchi to prove he would never turn Villain no matter who was his father. Whether the actual truth or his personal one, it would ring true for him.

All For One was still delusional about Izuku joining him but he was dead wrong. However, the same could not be said for Shigaraki who was so dependent on All For One. It was almost similar to how Izuku had looked up to Katsuki as he became a bully. Holding him at a high esteem even though his actions were horrible. A toxic situation that honestly made him worried for the young Villain.

Izuku could see how All For One was manipulating Shigaraki and the decayer was too conditioned to look past it for what it was. It made him wonder who Shigaraki really was under that hand. The one he called Father which was creepy as hell. The young analyst was determined to research the Villain's origins once they were able to get away from the League.

Speaking of, the other Villains were all watching the exchange silently. They must not interact with All For One much if at all. In their various suits, they did look the part of a Villain, but from his sessions with Hound Dog, Izuku could see that they were just people. Broken by the relative issues in their lives, but still human none the less. Ones who had no one to look out for them until the League. Much like Izuku hadn't been supported until Chizome.

It might seem strange to others but Izuku felt bad for them. Because Shigaraki was right that he could understand what they had gone through having experienced something similar himself. Judged for something out of their control and forced to find a way to deal with it. Only they resorted to Villainy while he held strong to Heroism. It made him want to help save them even from themselves even more than before.

But first thing was first. The two kidnapped teens needed to get away from their captors. Save themselves so they could go on to save others. Katsuki and Izuku traded a determined glance silently knowing they would both fight their hardest to get the hell out of there. No way were they going to willing let the League take them again. Not when freedom was so close.

Okay, we can do this, Izuku thought as he firmed his defensive stance.

They had to.

...

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