TheRedeemer1995: Greetings, prospective readers! Welcome back to The Venom Inside! Well, I gotta admit, I truly am having a lot of fun writing this thing, and as such, we gotta keep this gravy train rolling!

LegionnaireBlaze: Mmmm, gravy!

TheRedeemer1995: Indeed, yum-yum! All right, now, since we don't really have anything to go over starting off, let's get this party started!

Chapter V

Tragedies of The Past

Izuku, who was now sporting a much less fluffy hairstyle that, as Venom put it, made him look much less like a walking piece of broccoli, in that it was now a bit shorter and combed back, held in place with a bit of hair gel, making him look marginally more handsome, as the barber who had done his haircut told him, combined with his school uniform, consisting of a black suit with a black undershirt, a red tie, black dress shoes, and his fold-up walking cane, made the young teenager seem far more dapper than he would under normal circumstances, was making his way through the streets of the city, trying to formulate a plan on how to clear Venom's name.

"In all honesty, I think that Trigger-Enhanced thug's actual cause of death was likely from an overdose on Trigger," Izuku told the symbiote inside him. "The trick is going to be getting the evidence that proves that to be the case, especially since the HPSC is pushing the narrative that we killed him in cold blood."

'This HPSC, they're your government right?' Venom asked from inside Izuku's mind. 'If that's the case, then why are they so adamant on pushing the narrative that we killed that guy and labeling us as murderers?'

"The society the HPSC has built thrives on absolutes, the belief that black and white are clearly distinct, without even an iota of gray between them," said Izuku. "Enter us, a vigilante who is trying to protect the innocent and be a hero despite having what appears to be a villainous Quirk, who proudly resides in that gray area the HPSC so vehemently denies exists, who operates completely outside the incredibly flawed system they've built, and they'll likely do anything and everything they can to paint us as monsters, killers, criminals, anything else they can think of to turn both society and the Pro Heroes against us."

'I see…' Venom said inside Izuku's mind. 'So, in that case, we'll need a way to keep them off our backs, if only for a short time…'

"Exactly, and that's why I'm thinking that dealing with a scandal caused by it being revealed that they manipulated a coroner to establish a false cause of death and frame us for murder should work out quite nicely for those purposes," said Izuku. "If all goes as planned tonight, we should be able to get the information to the proper sources in time for the morning news tomorrow."

'Or we could suit up and go now, make it in time for the evening news,' Venom said inside Izuku's mind.

"No, that's not the best idea," said Izuku. "Most of the Pro Heroes operate in broad daylight, where they can show off in front of God and everybody. Considering we're not only vigilantes, but are currently wanted for murder, it's too risky to suit up in broad daylight. On the other hand, fewer heroes operate the night shift, so we should be able to operate as the Symbol of Vengeance with relative ease."

As he continued walking, Izuku caught sight of a familiar looking head of brown hair just ahead of him.

'Hey, it's Ochako!' thought Izuku.

'Well? Aren't you going to go talk to her?' Venom asked in Izuku's mind.

Izuku could see the symbiote's grin in his mind's eye as he limped to catch up with Ochako. "Hey, Ochako, it's me, Izuku!" he called after her, prompting the brown haired girl to turn around and face Izuku with a bright smile.

"Oh, hi, Izuku!" Ochako said with a bright smile before she took note of what Izuku was wearing. "What's with the fancy get up?"

"Oh, this? School uniform for Yasojin High," explained Izuku as he adjusted his tie. "Granted, it's no U.A. but it's decent enough. And I figured if I was going to look this fancy on a daily basis with a cane and everything, I figured I might as well get a new haircut to match. But, enough about me, how are you holding up? How's U.A.?"

"Surprisingly, there's a lot more 'academia' in the phrase 'hero academia' than I would have believed," admitted Ochako, rubbing at the back of her neck. "We're supposed to be heading down to the Unplanned Simulation Joint in a few days to get a taste of a different type of hero work. And honestly, it cannot come soon enough. The news about that monstrous vigilante Venom showing up and forcing All Might to retreat has quite a few members of my class worked up."

"Oh, is that so?" asked Izuku, a small smile on his face as he felt no shortage of satisfaction in the fact that, despite not being a student there, he was still the talk of the U.A. campus. "Say, you wanna go grab some coffee? I'd love to hear more about how things are going with you at U.A. High School… maybe get to know you a little better."

Ochako froze, a small blush forming on her face as she thought about what Izuku just said. Admittedly, she wanted to learn more about Izuku as well, especially considering the fact that he actually tried to do the U.A. Entrance Exam without a Quirk. Plus, there was something about him that she found intriguing, not to mention the fact that he was actually kind of attractive-agh, what was she thinking?

After a few moments, Ochako smiled. "Sure. Lead the way," she said.

A Short While Later-An Outdoor Cafe

Izuku, with an extra large to-go cup of hot chocolate in his hand, and Ochako, a cappuccino in her to-go cup, were sitting at one of the cafe tables, making small talk. The majority of the conversation was about Quirks, and Izuku went into one of his typical muttering storms which Ochako found cute. Truth be told, if she didn't know any better, she would have thought his Quirk was some sort of analysis Quirk, or a Quirk that granted him an intelligence and intellect to rival even the U.A. Principal.

"So," Ochako said as she took a sip of her coffee. "We've talked about Quirks, so… who's your favorite Pro Hero? I mean, you obviously have one, given the lengths you went through to try to make it into U.A."

A dark look crossed Izuku's face. "I don't have one. Not since what happened at the exam," he said, a bitterness in his voice. "And to be honest, my fondness for most heroes has been on shaky foundations for a long time, but after that day, I can't really stand Pro Heroes anymore, particularly All Might, who just care about lining their pockets rather than actually being a hero, stopping villains, and saving lives. If they were heroes, the feeling they get from simply being a hero and saving lives alone would be reward enough, rather than kickbacks from having a bunch of cheap plastic toys mass produced in their image."

Of all the answers Izuku could have given, that certainly wasn't one that Ochako was expecting. "I… don't really understand. The Pro-Heroes-"

"Are people doing a job. Tell me, Ochako, what does a person do when they're not on the clock?" asked Izuku.

Ochako's expression became confused. "They go home, have dinner, go about their own business, go to sleep and get up the next morning to do it all over again," she said with uncertainty.

"And do people like that ever do their work off the clock when there's no reason to?"

"You… have a very bleak outlook, Izuku."

"I have this outlook for a very good reason, Ochako. Do you mind if I tell you the story of one of my first friends growing up?"

"No, go ahead."

"Thank you. My friend's name was Inoichi, for the longest time it seemed like he was Quirkless, like I am. But then when he finally decided to stand up to our bullies, his Quirk came in."

"Congratulations, he must have been very happy. Did they stop bullying you two?"

"No, they didn't stop, and no he wasn't happy, because his Quirk almost killed one of them. Ichi's Quirk gave him control over metal, and we were standing next to the school's lockers when it happened. All the lockers rose off the ground or bent at odd angles, several of their doors flew across the room, and one of them was an inch from taking off our main bully's head."

Ochako gasped and held her hands in front of her mouth.

"After that, he became the school pariah," Izuku continued as his tears started to fall. "The insults increased in frequency, they switched out 'Quirkless Pig' for 'Villain Scum', 'Metal Monster'. They even gave him a Villain Name, 'the Electromagnetic Murderer, Magnus'. Eventually, it became too much for him to bear, and he took his own life by putting a One Yen coin through his brain. The note he left was addressed directly to the bullies, and all it said was 'I guess I am a murderer after all.', and he signed it as Magnus." Izuku's tears were falling at a more steady pace than they normally would as he wiped them away with his hand. Ochako just stared at Izuku in disbelief, unable to find her voice for a short while.

"But… but Inoichi's parents had to have done something about them after that!"

"They tried! But Aldera always made the 'undesirables' out to be just that! Innocents became guilty, victims became villains, monsters got applause for their heroic potential!" Izuku's voice began rising. "Inoichi's entire family used their collective life savings to hire a renowned Pro-Hero with a detective Quirk, only to be told not an hour later by that same person to 'not waste his time' because Aldera paid him more!" Izuku almost screamed as his grip started to make indents in the table's Quirk-treated material.

'Calm down, Izuku! You're starting to attract attention!' Venom warned his partner as several people were beginning to take longer glances at the two, actually three, of them. Izuku took a deep breath to steady himself and looked Ochako straight in the eyes.

"Ochako, how long ago do you think that happened?"

"Well… I think… a few years ago?" She guessed, but Izuku's tired shake of his head told her she was wrong.

"Aldera is a Junior High, Ochako. My oldest friend got his Quirk two years ago, and killed himself last year. And guess what? One of his killers is attending U.A. with you; because God forbid if Katsuki gets anything less!"

Ochako's eyes shot open. "Katsuki? As in, Katsuki Bakugou? With the explosion Quirk? He's in my class! He always came off as arrogant and kind of a jerk, but I never thought he'd make someone commit suicide!" she said, horrified.

"Oh, trust me, he will. The son of a bitch actually told me if I wanted a Quirk so badly, to jump off Aldera's roof and pray for one in my next life," said Izuku, his voice both dead, yet seething with rage. "And all that stuff about 'extras' and him being the world's 'Protagonist'? He actually believes that bullshit." Izuku said as he unfolded his cane and got up from the table. "Whatever you do, do not wound his pride, or do anything to get on his bad side like me and Inoichi did by just existing. You piss him off enough and that psychopath will try to get rid of you by any means necessary."

Ochako simply sat there, her mind reeling with shock at everything she just heard as she watched Izuku walk away, stop, come back for his cup of cocoa, and walk away again. She didn't know what she expected when she agreed to have coffee with Izuku, but this certainly wasn't it. She honestly didn't know what to make of any of what Izuku had told her. But, it certainly gave her a lot to think about.

Ochako did know one thing though. Izuku Midoriya had a truly tortured soul and was in desperate need of a real friend and a shoulder to cry on… that being the case, then why couldn't she be that friend Izuku needed and have it be her shoulder that he could cry on?

…Actually make that two things, because Principal Nedzu needed to know the truth about Katsuki and Aldera.

Meanwhile, with Izuku and Venom…

Izuku was still fuming as he limped away from the cafe. Aldera… even just the thought of that hellhole of a school caused a surge of anger and hatred to run through him because of what happened to him and Ichi there. Part of him wanted to tear that school down with his bare hands, bury the principal and staff in the rubble, and get justice for their role in the death of his best friend. But, thanks to being able to bribe any Pro Hero who concerned parents sent to investigate into looking the other way, the school continued to keep up its impeccable appearance of an environment free from discrimination and bullying, when that couldn't be any further from the truth. It was nothing more than a breeding for suffering and injustice.

Izuku knew that Inoichi could not have been the only victim of the injustice wrought upon those who were Quirkless or were cursed with a "villainous" Quirk and attended, and there was likely to be proof that the school had been paying off heroes who went to look into the matter, as well as the genuine records of student incidents. All it would take was that information getting out there for the world to see, and it would all come crumbling down for Aldera and the frauds in their pocket. Those who took their own lives because of Bakugou and those that came before him would finally be able to get justice and be able to rest in peace.

A devious grin crossed Izuku's face. Well, if he was an anti-hero, that meant that he could cause a little bit of chaos and raise some hell from time to time. And after having to relive the memory of the death of his best friend, he was itching to raise some Hell. It was only a shame they'd have to wait until he got Venom's name cleared of this little misunderstanding with the Trigger-Enhanced Thug.

'Izuku, are you okay?' Venom asked Izuku, sounding genuinely worried about his host.

"Huh? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," said Izuku as he took a drink of his hot cocoa. "It's just… talking about Ichi… hurts, you know. He was like a brother to me. Granted, it wasn't quite on the same level as the symbiosis you and I share, but, still…"

'I see… it was you who found the body and the note, was it not?' asked Venom.

"No secrets between us, huh?" Izuku said. "And the worst part is, even after all of that, I still couldn't see Bakugou for what he really was. I still admired that bastard, even as he beat me down on a regular basis. I was a fool until the day my dream died. Then I began to wake up and see the world as it truly was," said Izuku.

'I see… you know, we could go attack Aldera tonight, and you can take your revenge,' said Venom.

"It's too much of a risk, especially considering what I just told Ochako. We can't risk her making a connection and figuring out who we are," said Izuku, shaking his head. "More importantly, we need to get our names cleared before we go off on any rampages, otherwise that'll just be proving the HPSC right about us. Business before pleasure, after all, as unfortunate as it may be."

'I see… good call,' said Venom from within Izuku. 'Though if I may ask… do you know which morgue exactly they'd be keeping that Trigger-Enhanced Thug's body, and the evidence that would be keeping the HPSC bogged down with trying to unravel our little scandal while we go about our business?'

"Unfortunately, no," admitted Izuku. "There are at least three morgues all across Mustafu City that are designated for doing autopsies and what have you for people with Quirks that would normally allow one to do hero work or for doing the same to slain villains. In order to find the one where that thug's carcass is being held, and the evidence we need to clear our names and tie up the HPSC, we'll need access to the city's medical networks. Though, to be honest, I have to wonder something…"

'Oh? And what would that be?' asked Venom.

"Why is it that the HPSC is pushing the narrative that we killed that thug so hard? It almost feels like they have it out for us more than any other vigilante said to be out there… like it's personal or something…"

TheRedeemer1995: And that's a bingo! I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record at this point, but I gotta admit, I am having a lot of fun writing this thing and all its glory, and I know LegionnaireBlaze feels the same way. And it's only the first story/season!

Now then, I'm sure you're wondering about this Inoichi guy our version of Izuku was friends with, so allow us to go into more detail. First off, it was LegionnaireBlaze's idea to create this deceased character to help provide part of the reason why our version of Izuku has a much bleaker outlook on heroes than the one in canon, and to help provide some context as to why Izuku hates Bakugou so much, apart from the fact that his symbiosis with Venom does have a bit of an effect on his personality, just as he has an effect on Venom's personality, hence why our version of the Venom Symbiote is a much nicer guy than usual, even if Venom is a particularly brutal vigilante who beats his targets into varying degrees of pulp.

However, and I cannot stress this enough, despite the absolutely horrible things that Bakugou has done to Izuku, Inoichi, and others like them, Kaachan, Izuku's childhood friend, is still inside Bakugou somewhere, buried deep under Bakugou's ego, explosive temper, discriminatory tendencies, and his other character flaws, and we've seen him begin to come back out when Izuku threatened Bakugou and when Bakugou found out about Venom's big debut. LegionnaireBlaze, is there anything you want to add?

LegionnaireBlaze: Yeah, something I finally remembered to mention. Venom's lines in the first chapter? He only said 'Sleep now' and the rest really was a nightmare. Just wanted to clarify for anyone who thinks our Venom is simply playing the long game.

TheRedeemer1995: If you guys liked what you saw here then be sure to fave, follow, review, and join us next time as Venom begins to put in some work towards clearing his name! See you then!

LegionnaireBlaze: Bye bye!