Good In Evil

By: SomeRandomPerson648

Chapter 6: When In Need

A/N: So spoilers for Dabi's backstory, not that anything will be revealed outright this chapter but as the story progresses I won't hesitate to pull from it. Anyway, enjoy!

Hidden from the eyes of society was a world behind closed doors, obscured by the heroes of society and their shinning light. But unlike popular belief it was not filled to the brim with crime and evil. Rather, it was a cumulation of lost souls, each one having fallen out of favor with the world

And in this darkness one victim laid still, a young man now ruined by his past. He laid in a stuffy old couch within a damp, abandoned building housing other homeless people. He was lucky to have found a place like this, not needing to spend his small amount of money on a cheap inn or sleep inside a quiet alleyway

Yet as the mysterious man with copious burn marks rose from his sleep, he struggled to get up from his couch. Not because he was sick or tired but rather he didn't have the motivation to get up and start his monotonous day. It was so common for him to wake up and wander the city he roamed, aimless and with the sole objective of scavenging throughout the town to get by

Instead he stared at the ceiling for a little while, waiting for boredom or hunger to motivate him enough to leave, usually the latter. His mind was nearly void of thought save for one, a question that he asked himself all too often

"What am I gonna do?"

It's been years since he's abandoned his old life and identity yet he still had no idea what to do with himself. He no longer had the luxury of a stable life, nor was he under to protection of the 'heroes', so he was truly on his own. He couldn't even show his face without drawing some sort of attention to himself, and with no place to call home he's left to wander the streets

"And all because of him!" He thought, thinking back to one man, the very reason why he was here. It sickened him to think of 'that man' and what he's done, all of the dreams he's created only for them to be stamped out in one fell swoop

The young man tightly gripped his fist in anger as he got up from his resting place. He was helpless to the past, defined by the pain he's gone through. And because of it, 'Dabi' was nothing more than a scarred freak who roamed the streets, shifting from place to place and doing his best to survive

Yet there was nothing else to do, no way to combat the system that destroyed him, no way to get back at the man that did this to him. He was helpless to the world, and it pained him to think that his life was practically over. Yet in thinking of the life he had before...he'd rather die on the street than go through that hell again

Instead he rose from the couch and put on his black hoodie that he wore on most days and noticed the fading color of his hair, the gradient of black slowly rubbing off again

"I'll have to get this done again, damn this shit's tedious." He thought. Though it was hard to maintain his current appearance he knew that it was better that he continue doing so, lest someone find him out through hair color alone

In finally standing from his couch his anger subsided and in its place was an intense hunger, the result of skipping dinner in favor of sleep. Making sure to hide his possessions, he set off to wander the city of Kamino Ward. Hopefully he'd get to find a fast food joint before his stomach would start to hurt

His usual feeling of emptiness was only amplified by his hunger, both feelings mixing together to form a sort of depression that he was well used to. Some day...things will turn up for him...

"As if." He doubted. No one was there for him, watching his back or even looming over him like before. He's still on his own as he's been for years

Walking out of the dark and decrepit building he slowly made his way through the equally rough, run down block. Overshadowing the single cluster of dusty old buildings were brighter, taller, more modern looking ones surrounded by average looking people. As he made his way through the morning crowd each and every pedestrian ignored him in favor of getting through their days

Two cities away was the city of Musutafu, bustling with morning activity as kids and teens ran to their schools while the adults walked to their jobs. Also within the city was another, similar outcast, hidden in plain sight as everyone went about their days

Himeko Toga, a blonde girl who seemed to always be wearing her favorite schoolgirl outfit, strolled the harmless streets of the city. Yet she secretly stalked the crowds with a wolfish demeanor, ready to pounce on any unsuspecting pedestrian that may get too careless and stray from the crowd

Unlike most who're thrown away from society she was able to adapt to the city, so much so that she learned to hide in plain sight. A single glance of a 'harmless' high school girl would put anyone off, but her experience in the streets lets her almost disappear from people's sights, untraceable. Her ability to remain inconspicuous was unmatched by any, or at least anyone she's met

Case in point, earlier when she silently cornered an unknowing man in an alleyway. Her victim was left unconscious and missing a whole pint of blood after she was through. Although she made sure that the man was still breathing when she abandoned him, lest she want to attract more attention from the police

However, Toga found herself craving more blood again. Her appetite was difficult to gauge lots of the time but for months she always remained just a little bit hungry for more. The sense of a desperate wanting made her ever more anxious, pulling risker stunts in favor of having more blood to drink. But it was never enough

"Man, I could still go for some more." She thought out loud, though as she looked around there was no lonely individual or distracted pedestrian that stuck out to her keen eye. She was truly lost as to who to drink next. Frustrated she was forced to dig into her pockets and pull out another vial of spare blood

For months the blood Toga collected tasted off in a way. The simple, metallic liquid no longer had the same effect for her as it's had for years. Instead she craved the sweet, tangy taste of a special blood, a blood that tasted akin to dark chocolate for her as it would a normal person. And that blood...she still remembered it well

"Izuku...Izuku...his blood was so tasty!"

There was just something about his blood that made it different, so special that it made everything else taste a little bland. Unlike the plain, forgettable pedestrian that she'd always manage to knock unconscious, his blood was just a little bit special, but all the more different that everything else changed. She didn't know why his blood was so sweet, perhaps it was his blood type? Maybe it ran deeper than that? His cute face? His sweet, bubbling personality? They were just so slightly different yet it made Toga see the average victim of hers seem so bland

"The second I find him, I'll make sure to-"

"Excuse me! Sorry!"

Derailing her train of thought Himeko snapped her head backwards as she heard a familiar voice. Blocked by the crowd around her was just the green haired boy she was looking for, piercing through the veil of people and running at near full speed

It was shocking Toga how convenient this was for her, as though the universe willed it so. But without a second thought she took chase, prancing just after him as he failed to take notice. Her hunter's instincts allowed her to remain hidden to Izuku, tracking him as he pushed on

"Tee hee. If I can find out where he's going, then maybe I can ask him for more blood. If not, then maybe I'll have to take it!"

Spearheading through a wall of people, Midoriya ran through the busy street late to school. It was an accident that he forgot to set his alarm, but after he returned from training and passed out there wasn't much else he could do

"I can make it if I run fast enough!" He thought to himself, sprinting through the streets and avoiding people as he passed them by. It didn't take long for him to leave the busier streets and enter the less crowded area, reaching the entrance of his school

Greeting the half tired teen was the humble school building, a white structure three stories in height and no different from any other Japanese school. At the school's front entrance were a few students, none in any rush to get to class

"Oh...guess I'm not that late." He thought, looking at his phone to see that there were still minutes until the bell would ring. It was almost a shock to him, but upon realizing that he ran at nearly full speed he was more proud of himself than anything

"I guess I am growing!"

Now with no sense of being rushed he strolled into the building. The passing students, the occasional teacher as well as the generic building made for an incredibly ordinary school. Sure everyone was a bit taller, but to Izuku it all seemed like he was going to middle school again. It was almost like nothing had changed for him, like he was repeating the life that he had before only with minor changes. It was scary in a sense, seeing the same old faces and the usual odd glance filled Midoriya with an eerie familiarity. He knew deep down that things weren't the same but in looks everything remained unchanged, perfectly preserved

"Kacchan is gone, but other than that my school life is still the same." He thought rather depressingly. It wasn't the fact that his ex-friend was gone that made him upset, but where he went and what he was doing did

For years Katsuki and his former friends bullied him out of his dream of being a hero and while he was just where they wanted him to be, the worst of the bunch got to take his spot as one of the best. It wasn't an unexpected turn of events either but no less upsetting

"Yet I can't blame them. I really can't be a hero..." Came the even more heart wrenching thought, and as he entered his partially full classroom he took his seat near the back

To think that a boy so hopeful as himself would be ripped from his one and only dream, his motivation for living. Izuku just couldn't imagine a fate worse than that, being without a goal. Only thinking about waking up with no reason to start the day seemed so petrifying to the young boy. Yet he had to wonder...were there really people like that? People who lost their hopes and aspirations in life? Left aimless and defeated?

"I kinda doubt it..." He thought. Save for the one stranger that he met months ago he hasn't seen anyone even remotely like him. Of all unchanging faces none of them looked like they were in pain, lost or defeated

Midoriya had spent months training physically and mentally to better achieve his goal, to help others like himself who may need it. Yet none of the people he saw were even remotely like him, passively oppressed by the world. It truly raised the question as to whether there were people like him who weren't blessed with a second chance, and the more he thought the less hopeful he became

While wallowing in his sudden wave of self doubt a splash of water came his way, hitting him and drenching his clothes

"Sorry Midoriya." The culprit apologized, though it wasn't a real apology in the slightest. Instead a small group of people gave a light chuckle before easily moving on

Yet rather than gather the courage to stand up for himself he instinctively bit his tongue and moved on. He was well used to going through his day with one or two accidents, and today was no different. So rather than bring attention to himself he instead continued to hide from everyone's eyes, silently drying his wet shirt

From a distance, standing over a two story building was Kurogiri, the man made of shadow. As per usual he arrived to check up on Izuku, like he was ordered to do. Day in day out he witnessed the same sight occur, watching as the young boy was played pranks on or made fun of, yet he couldn't understand why he would let it happen

"Perhaps he doesn't believe in his own strength?" He guessed, yet it still confused him

For a boy like Izuku his world was fundamentally changed, gaining a quirk and joining the side of evil. To anyone else this would've made them into a different person entirely, yet to Izuku it's like nothing happened at all. He avoids drawing attention to himself and doesn't bother standing up for himself either, remaining as the target for practical jokes

"I can only hope that changes soon, for his own sake."

Yet there was also another thing that he spotted, a young girl standing just in front of the school staring in Izuku's general direction. It was frankly amazing that he even noticed her given that she looked like any other student. But the fact that she stood still for so long was a bit worrying, especially as she stared at the school while just outside of its gates

"Perhaps I should return once the boy leaves, it's better to be safe than sorry." He observed as he disappeared from the area

Hours later the bells rang for the final time, allowing the students of countless schools to leave. Waves of children in many places around the city swarmed out as they were either picked up by cars or, more commonly, walked home

It wasn't until much later that Izuku left school, only after the flood of people were gone was he truly alone, everyone either having left already or staying in school for a number of reasons. The near empty halls followed by the emptier courtyard gave off a strange feeling of loneliness that he was well used to by now. Instead of paying attention to it he wrote away at his journal, noting down a quirk that he found interesting

"The ability to stick to walls. It's certainly with its advantages, and maybe with the proper training that person could become much greater than they realize. Can they stick to people too? What about if they could use that to throw objects more easily? It'd certainly help with gripping things." He mumbled to himself, oblivious to his surroundings

As he walked out the gates of his school and down the street he eventually felt an odd presence inside of him, an instinctive worry that caused him to abruptly stop in his tracks and look around

"Is someone following me?" He asked as he looked behind him, not seeing anyone that stuck out

In an odd way it was like the feeling of being followed was amplified ten times over, able to knock him out of his usual distracted daze and into a sense of high alert. This was far from normal, and in the end he had to thank his new quirk for it. From the little he knew it was a physical type, but the more he learned the more he realized the mental changes that it brought as well

Now more focused than before he closed the small journal and pocketed it, worried for his own safety. Unlike when Kurogiri followed him, this felt like a malicious presence, a gut feeling telling him to run and hide, but to keep up appearances he only walked at a brisk pace. For many minutes he walked, weaving though crowds and dodging people in the street as they passed until eventually this small chase of his grew so stressing that it freaked him out

"I have to confront them, whoever they are. Maybe they just want to talk? At worst they could be hunting me."

While passing through a particularly less crowded block he halted and turned around to look behind him, seeing absolutely no one other than pedestrians who went about their days. For a moment his body told him that there was nothing, as though the presence had vanished. However his quirk spoke differently, telling him that there was someone hiding right in front of him

"Whoever's following me show yourself, I know you're there." He yelled out, confusing a few people as they walked by

For many tense seconds there was no indication that anyone had truly heard what he said until finally a figure walked away from the street corner. A familiar blonde girl who wore the very same school outfit

"Hi Izuku!~ Long time no see!~" She said in an almost flirtatious manner

"Huh? You're Himeko Toga aren't you?"

"Yep! So glad you remembered my name. But I'm surprised that you knew I was tailing you, I happen to be very good at hiding." She stated rather disappointingly

"So it was my quirk." Midoriya guessed. "Without it I never would've noticed her, not even remotely."

"How did you find me? And why are you following me?" He asked her, watching as she skipped towards him

"I was walking around the city when I noticed you pass by. So I followed you and found the school you go to! Isn't that awesome? Now I know where my favorite friend goes to school!" She exclaimed, grabbing his hands and cupping them within hers

"Favorite friend?" He thought, only to feel a sense of dread overtake him by realizing that she knew where he went to school. If anything a person like her being here only spelled disaster for him

Just then a portal appeared behind him, a black mist that grew until it was revealed to be Kurogiri yet again

"Is everything okay Midoriya? Is the girl giving you trouble?" He asked, surprising the both of them

"Kurogiri? You're here too?"

"Who's that guy?"

"I happen to be the young boy's guardian." He replied. "When I spotted you suspiciously looking at Midoriya this morning I had to make sure he wouldn't be followed again."

With little hesitation he extended a hand and quickly a mist began forming around Toga's lower half, only stopping below her neck

"If I may, I'll dispose of the threat for you."

"Wait no!" Izuku shouted, surprising him

"No?"

"No, don't kill her." The teen asked of him

Thinking it over the man let go of Toga, freeing her from the strange shadow prison and allowing her to move. "Forgive me for acting out, I assumed you wanted her dead."

"It's okay, but please don't do that again." Izuku stated before turning to Toga. "What are you here for? You're not here to kill me are you?"

"What? No! I just came to collect more blood!" She stated, surprising the other two. "When I drank your blood it tasted soooo good! I couldn't stop thinking about you for months you know! I missed you so much, and now that I've found you I want to cut you up again and have you for myself!!!" She exclaimed, holding her cheeks as she wiggled around in an erotic joy that more or less shocked the other two

"...Are you certain that I shouldn't kill her now?" The shadow man offered, only for Izuku to decline again

"Please don't." He replied, but it wasn't to say he wasn't concerned at all. Quite the opposite, he felt horrified that a girl he met only once was already threatening him so violently

"I'd um...would rather not thank you." He said, making Toga frown angrily

"What? No fair! You're blood is just so tasty! I want more!" She exclaimed, almost tearing up by her tantrum. But when she looked up she saw the looming figure of the man made of shadow, keeping her in her place

"This is clearly not a good situation. Let's go Midoriya, your mother is likely waiting."

With a large portal forming behind Kurogiri and Izuku the two turned to leave, but as they did Izuku spared a second glance at Toga. He saw her heartbroken face with a tear rolling down her cheek. He knew she was crazy and was likely a problem that would keep reoccurring unless he did something about it. Yet he didn't want to kill someone for just bothering him, nor did he want that threat living in the back of his mind as he went about his day

But there was something else that caught his attention, past the heartbroken face was an inner sadness in her eyes that felt both alien and familiar. It wasn't the fact that she was a girl or that she was crying that made him stop in his tracks, but it was the emptiness in her eyes that was so familiar it felt like he was looking in a mirror. He saw the expression of a person who's dreams were crushed before them, and while they may have been strange or utterly crazy to him they were dreams nonetheless

"She said she enjoyed blood didn't she?" He stopped to think and try to fabricate a reason for his hesitation. "Plus her quirk was blood related too. And she said she liked my blood too...so maybe..."

"Is something the matter young Midoriya?" Kurogiri watched as the boy was frozen in place, struggling to move as he fought with himself

Yet the boy only slapped his own face, struggling to find a solid reason for his next action. But yet again his heart overtook his mind as the logic couldn't explain his need to help that girl. For whatever reason he felt, no, knew that he could help her. In some way, he was capable of helping her out of her current plight. And maybe, just maybe there was a good enough reason that he was stopping himself from leaving the situation. But it was like instead of avoiding a threat...he was denying someone their help

"She's sick isn't she?" He guessed, judging his assumption purely based on the way she behaved, how she craved blood for no particular reason. He knew that she had a blood related quirk yet there was nothing that said she had to drink blood. So maybe it was affecting her mind? Her quirk had such control over her that it motivated her to act the way she did?

Or maybe she was just crazy? It was a mistake to give her his blood the first time he met her, but to give her his blood again without the proper reasoning to support his decision was crazy too. What could he do to help her? A problem like the one he was imagining purely for the sake of justifying his gut instinct could run so much deeper than he realized. What good would it be to just enable her?

"I have to do something, anything."

Before he could stop himself he stomped towards the girl and extended his right arm, opening his palm as if to hold his hand out for her

"Here, take my blood." He said, shocking the two around him

"This is a mistake young Midoriya." Kurogiri advised, but was swiftly ignored

"But it's mine to make." He shot back, a strange stubbornness overtaking him as Toga looked at him in disbelief

"Really? You mean it?"

"...Yes, I do. In fact, tomorrow after school...if you meet me again I'll be willing to give you a bit more." He offered, the words falling out of his mouth almost unintentionally, like his heart took over yet again

With a giddy smile Toga reached for the hidden box cutter knife and used it to slice another gash into his hand, making him wince as blood poured out of him. Again a vial was filled with blood and afterwards Toga applied some bandages onto his hand with a greater care than before, making sure that they fit nicely on his hand

"It hurts less than before." He noted, though it was primarily because he felt the injury already and knew what to expect. His hand also didn't shake with the minor pain and not that much blood bled through the bandages

"Thanks a lot Izuku." Toga thanked, wiping a tear from her eye as she smiled. "I can't wait for tomorrow!~"

With that the excited girl ran away, turning the corner and otherwise disappearing from sight. Inwardly a pressure from inside Izuku disappeared as he breathed a sigh of relief, feeling his hand

"That was quite the commitment you made." Kurogiri commented, judging silently. No matter how much time he spent with the boy, some of his actions continued to allude him

"Yeah...I'm surprised I went through with it." He chuckled, confusing the man

"If you doubt your own actions then what compelled you to make them?"

"I don't know, but it was like she was secretly begging me for help." He responded, further confusing the shadow man

"At what point did he consider her threat a cry for help?"

"When I turned to leave, I saw the look in her eyes. It was the same one I had when I stopped trying to be a hero, like I crushed a dream of hers. I don't understand her at all, but...I know deep inside my heart that I'm capable of helping her out." He tried to explain, but even his own words sounded a bit strange when coming out of him. "In a way it's what I became villain for isn't it?"

"Hm, such a strange answer. But you're already quite a strange boy." Kurogiri stated honestly, making Izuku feel a little bad. "But you're actions are your own and so are your reasons. If you set out on an objective then you of all people will see it through. I believe in that much."

"Thanks for supporting me..."

"It's no problem young Midoriya. Now, should I teleport you home? You'll be late for lunch otherwise."

With a short nod the two disappeared from sight, a strange feeling of responsibility and concern clouding and confusing Izuku's mind. Even though it was his goal to help others...it still confused him as to how he'd go through with it

Nearby, the young girl wearing a school outfit skipped happily nearby. She was content that someone took such a chance with her, and unlike everyone else she finally had someone for her to call a true friend

Toga continued to giggle to herself, feeling a warmth in her heart and the small pounding of her chest. Someone finally accepted her!

"Plus he's pretty cute too!~"

She pulled out her vial of blood and drank its contents, soon finding herself satisfied. The longing taste of the blood she craved was now at her fingertips, and with more on the way

Futher into the day Izuku found himself roaming the streets of Kamino Ward both resting and exploring after his training. Though Kurogiri made an effort to teach him more about close combat, the boy knows that there's only so much he could learn from a man who personally does very little of it

For the moment he took the chance to explore more of the world, to take a deeper look at his environment. Yet as the sky darkened and people began retreating to their homes Izuku found the dense city streets to be less and less crowded

"I didn't find many interesting quirks either." He realized as well, opening his notebook and finding no new entries

What bothered him wasn't the fact that he wasn't able to write down any new quirk entries, but that he couldn't distract himself from his current predicament. How he threw himself into yet another plight without thinking properly

For months now he's been reassuring himself that it was all worth it, that he needed to become a villain. Every day he tried to convince himself that what he was doing wasn't a mistake. But upon encountering Toga his main challenge was warped into a different, more damning problem

He thought up of a million different solutions, paths and possibilities to the psychological problem yet it all ended either poorly or with disastrous effects. Should he call someone? A doctor or psychiatrist to help her? No, because what if she just runs away? Should he do personal research on her dilemma? No, because that would be too much intrusion, like he was stepping into a territory that he wasn't able to handle. And all of which were only if the problem was real, which was the most frustrating part of it all

"I have to help her, but how?" He asked himself yet again, racking his brain for some sort of lesson or piece of advice that told him what to do. Yet neither the likes of All Might nor Sensei have taught him how to handle such an intense social problem. He didn't even know if people ran into this sort of problem

"I'm out of my depth..." He admitted defeat

Throughout his entire life it was a dream of his to save people. Heroes like All Might were able to save countless lives by just existing, and they brought a sort of hope to the world that no one could deny. Yet he never realized how hard it was to truly save someone until it finally came to saving his first life. And yet he felt incredibly guilty for giving up so early that he felt ashamed of himself, like he didn't deserve any of the effort that those around him had poured into him. Such an incredible responsibility was thrusted into his hands with no ability to handle it, truly a hopeless situation

"They make it look so easy. Just beat the villains and save the day..." He thought as a man approached him from behind

"Hey, haven't seen you in a while."

Taking Izuku off guard was a familiar raspy voice, and when he turned around he encountered that mysterious burned man from months ago. He looked about the same as before, covered head to toe in black and masking his true identity

"It's you? What are you doing in Kamino Ward?" Izuku asked

"I'm a wanderer, I tend to get around." He replied casually. "Better yet, what're you doing out here? Don't you have a bedtime?"

Without realizing it Izuku found himself lost in thought, so much so that he lost his sense of time again. When he looked to the sky and at his surroundings he saw a waning orange hue as well as the dim street lights around him. As it was getting dark there were also very little people walking around, signaling the transition to nighttime

"Crap I lost track of time again." He lectured himself

"I uh...I'm just clearing my head that's all."

"...Well, I'm not the type of person to pry." The man shrugged, not thinking much else of the boy's lie

There was an awkward silence that followed, Izuku having a million different things in his head that he lacked the proper ability to hold a conversation. On the other hand, curiosity was the sole motivator for the stranger's interaction, a sort of interest in the boy just like before

"Actually, I was thinking about what you said a few months ago, about the heroes." Izuku lied in order to hold a conversation

"Really? Looks like my words did stick after all."

"Yeah. More specifically I was thinking about people like that man that got arrested. People who aren't protected by heroes."

"That's an quite an intense thought, especially for a kid his age." The man wondered, keen on hearing what the kid had to say

"To be honest I've been learning a lot about people like me, outcasts who don't have many friends or people who support them. And...I've been trying to help others like me in whatever way I can." Midoriya tried to simplify whilst revealing as little as he could. It was quite the personal plight that he was revealing, but he had to ask someone. So why not ask someone who sort of understood where he was coming from?

"And how's that working out for you?"

"It's...really hard. Harder than I imagined that is." He admitted, feeling that same pang of guilt return tenfold. "There's this girl who I want to help, but I don't know how to do it. No matter what solution I think of I can only imagine it failing. I...I don't know what to do anymore, or even if I can help at all."

Again there was an awkward silence, this time because of the massive dilemma that Izuku found himself in. For the moment he was less worried about revealing too much than he was finding a solution. He didn't expect any sort of answer either...but some input would be very helpful right about now

"That's quite a problem. Makes me wonder why you're asking me." The man chuckled a little nervously, making the boy nervous as well

"Well...I had to tell someone. And since you sort of know what I'm talking about, I guess I wanted to hear you're opinion."

The man only gazed off in the distance, thinking back to his own problems that he's kept hidden from sight. In a way he was the right person to ask for a subject like this, but to think that a boy like him was so willing to throw himself out there was both surprising...and heartwarming

"If only he existed when I was little." He chuckled to himself, seeing before him a boy so pure yet so challenged by a problem that shouldn't even concern him. He wanted to break the mold like he hinted at months ago with that throwaway line, and now here he was...asking him how to help others like him

"I'm sorry if it's a little much, you don't have to answer." Izuku responded to the silence with a defeated expression, already turning around to walk away

"You should be there for her." He answered, making Midoriya freeze for a second

"Be there for her?" He asked himself, but he could only imagine the downsides

What could he do to help? What could he bring to Toga's life that would help her with her blood problem other than more blood? He hardly imagined that allowing her to remain addicted to drinking blood was the solution

"What can a person like me do for her?"

"She's an outcast like you isn't she? I'm sure you know what it's like to be alone, without anyone having your back." The man suggested, leaving Midoriya in silence. "If there's anything a loner needs, it'd be a friend that can understand them. You don't need to make things so damn complicated with finding answers, just try and hear her out."

Yet Midoriya remained still as the doubts that plagued him all of his life returned once more, preventing him from taking action. Was he able to do something like that? To be there when someone needed him? Was a useless reject able to be someone's pillar of support? The pillar that they needed him to be?

"What's the matter? You got quiet."

"...Am I really the right person to do that? To be her friend?" He more so asked himself than he did ask the stranger

As a response, the man chuckled a little before bursting out with pure laughter. Izuku only looked back at him with confusion and offense as he watched the grown man hold in his stomach while laughing. Why was he laughing at him?

"Sorry kid, but you don't know just how ridiculous you sounded there!"

"What do you mean?" He asked as the man tried his best to regain his composure

"What are you doing? Asking her out? You're so damn nervous it's killing me!"

"B-But I'm serious! I don't know if I'm really going to be a good friend for her or not, at least the friend that he needs." The boy blushed lightly out of embarrassment

Sighing to himself the man removed his shades and made direct eye contact, allowing the boy to see his now serious yet encouraging eyes. Hidden behind them was a recognizable yet alien form of pain, an emptiness just like Izuku knew, yet by the looks of it there was a faint shine in his eyes as he spoke

"Listen. You've already done so much more than anyone else can be bothered to do but you're too insecure, and quite frankly it's getting on my nerves." He stated honestly. "Stop thinking so much and just throw yourself out there already. Because I'm damn sure that she needs you just like you needed someone too."

"...Are you sure?"

"Certain." He ended his speech before putting on his shades again. "But I gotta say, I'm impressed that there's a a kid like you who's so thoughtful."

"Really? Is that a bad thing?"

"Not at all."

Again Izuku took his new advice to heart, trying his best to lift his spirits. But the pressure of what's to come or where things might go wrong still weighed heavily on his heart. The crushing self doubt remained yet it no longer hurt as much as before

"Thank you so much for helping me, I really felt stuck there." Izuku thanked, feeling a small weight lift from his chest

"No problem. Matter of fact, us outcasts should help each other out more often." The man teased

As Izuku turned to leave a sudden realization made him turn back around, a strange mystery that came about

"Oh! What's your name?"

"...It's Dabi, for the moment at least." The man stated before walking away, almost disappearing behind the street corner

As the man walked away Izuku took a second to recenter himself, to refocus his own thoughts and calm his mind. In a way it was fate itself that brought 'Dabi' to him, as the same went for Toga and even Kurogiri in a way. The universe was throwing all of its challenges and answers right at his face, and now was about time that he use the answers that he was given

"It's time to stop doubting myself."

Soon Kurogiri appeared again behind Izuku, ready to take him home

"Was your conversation enlightening?"

"Yeah...it really was."

"And what did you take from it?" The shadow man wondered curiously

"...That I should stop doubting myself so much." He said, gripping his fist out of motivation and a newfound confidence. "If I want to save people then I can't hesitate so much. So from now on...I want to be sure that I'm making the right decisions, I want to be sure of myself. And it starts now, with helping Toga."

"I will help her, by being her friend!"

"What a strange boy... But I must admit he's gone leaps and bounds already."

The rate at which Midoriya grew never ceased to amaze Kurogiri. Hours ago he was filled with a crippling self-doubt. Now, after hearing the things that he needed to hear, he boasted an unwavering resolve like the one he most often showed in private. He wasn't able to provide the solutions that he was looking for, but instead he regained confidence in himself. That alone was something to be proud of

"His sheer will is simply staggering. If it weren't for his own insecurities holding him back then there'd be very little stopping him from seeing his goals through." The man observed as the two disappeared from sight

No longer was Izuku going to spend so much time thinking, regretting his own decisions thus far. Instead, he needed to grasp the confidence in himself, the power that was given to him through Sensei's efforts, and act on his own conviction

Because now, after months of training, he needed to finally act on the hopes and dreams that he's been chasing this whole time. And it starts with that girl!