Shigaraki stared at the two people that Giran brought in. He then said to Kurogiri, "Get rid of these two. I can already tell they're exactly the kind of trash I hate. A brat and a guy with no manners."

Kurogiri replied, "Now, now, Tomura Shigaraki. They came all this way, the least we can do is hear them out. Give them a chance. Besides, this broker is respected in the underworld. They're bound to be valuable assets."

Giran said, "Like 'em or not, you still owe me a finder's fee. In cash. I suppose I could introduce the two of 'em before I go. This one looks like an adorable high school girl, right? She's actually the suspect in a series of deaths where the victims all bled out. So far, her name and face have been kept out of the media."

"Toga, here," Toda introduced herself. "Himiko Toga! Life is too hard. I just wanna make it easier to live in this dumb world. I wanna be Mr. Stainy! I wanna kill Mr. Stainy! Come on, handy-man, please let me join your League of Villains!"

Shigaraki sighed, "You gotta be kidding me. Is she crazy?"

Giran replied, "Well, she can hold a conversation. For the most part, at least. C'mon, she could be useful. And this guy hasn't committed any flashy crimes, but he's taken Stain's ideology to heart."

Dabi said, "I don't like this. Is your group really dedicated to the Hero Killer's mission? I can't imagine you are if you're gonna let this little psycho join you."

"Grow up," Shigaraki growled. "She may be a psycho, but at least she knows how to introduce herself to people. Don't just stare. What's your name?"

"Right now," Dabi replied. "I'm going by Dabi."

"No," Shigaraki said. ""I want to know your real name."

Dabi replied, "I'll tell you when you need to know it. In any case, my new purpose is to carry out the Hero Killer's will."

Shigaraki said, "That isn't what I asked you, patchwork. Jeez. Why is everyone so hung up on Stain? He's all I ever hear about." He then stood up, even though Kurogiri was trying to get him to stop. "Every damn day. It's really pissing me off. You two are done." He charged in to attack, but so did Dabi and Toga.

But Kurogiri used his Quirk to create portals to move their attacks elsewhere. "Please calm yourself, Tomura Shigaraki. If your desire is to be realized, then we must increase our numbers. Now that we're in the spotlight, our chance is at hand. I advise you to be more accepting. You must use them and the ideology Stain left behind."

Shigaraki brushed past everyone, "I'm outta here."

"Where are you off to?" Giran asked.

"Shut up!" Shigaraki shouted as he slammed the door shut behind him.

Giran said, "I try to make it a point not to complain about a client, but he's too young. And far too immature."

Toga commented, "Really thought he was gonna kill us for a sec!"

Dabi sighed, "That guy makes me wanna vomit."

Kurogiri then asked, "Shall we get back to you about recruitment at a later date? I believe our leader knows what he has to do. That's why he left as he did. He understands his circumstances. All Might, then the Hero Killer, he's been humbled twice very recently. I'm sure he'll bring you an answer. One that will satisfy both of you, as well as his own desires."

The next day at UA High, the five who failed the practical exam were freaking out. Mina cried, "Everyone, I'm looking forward to hearing all your stories of how fun camp was."

Izuku tried to reassure them, "Maybe they'll end up letting you go. There might be a last minute twist or something."

Danny added, "Yeah, remember Mr. Aizawa did something similar on the first day of school with the tests he made us do."

But Kaminari wasn't convinced, "They said whoever failed the exams would have to skip training camp and live in summer school hell. We didn't pass the practicals, so we're doomed! Don't you understand, Midoriya? Or did All Might knock the brains outta you?"

"Dude, calm down," Danny said. "You're letting your fears get the better of you. I'm sure we'll all get to go."

Suddenly Aizawa opened the door to the classroom, "Once the bell rings you should all be in your seats." Everyone quickly got to their seats as Aizawa walked over to the podium. "Morning. Unfortunately, there are a few of you who did not pass your final exams. So, when it comes to the training camp in the woods, everyone is going!" The five who failed the practical squealed with delight.

Kirishima asked, "We really get to go to camp?"

"Seriously?" Mina asked.

Aizawa nodded, "Yeah. The good news is that no one bombed the written exam. Five failed the practical exam badly. Two teams, of course. All me to explain how the exams worked. For the practical battles, the teachers made sure to leave a way for the students to win. Otherwise, you never would have stood a chance. We were interested in observing how you each worked together and approached the task at hand."

Oijiro asked, "But didn't you promise that the teachers wouldn't be holding back?"

"That was just to get you on edge," Aizawa answered. "The only person we didn't hold back on was Fenton. For that exam, all the teachers wanted to go all out. Fenton, we wanted to see everything that you are capable of. Basically, we wanted you to use your ultimate move and we pushed you to your limit. Now we can help guide you since we have knowledge of all of your abilities now. In this training camp, you will be focusing on building your strength. Those who failed need those lessons the most. We were never going to separate you. That was just a logical deception we used."

Danny chuckled, "Knew it."

Tenya mumbled, "He tricked us all. I should have expected this." He then stood up and shouted, "Mr. Aizawa, this is the second time you've lied to us! Aren't you afraid we'll lose faith in you?"

Ochaco said, "Uh, a little blunt there, Tenya."

Aizawa answered, "That's a good point. I'll consider it. But I wasn't lying to you about everything. Failure is failure. We've prepared extra lessons for the five of you who failed. Frankly, they'll be far tougher than what you'd face at summer school."

Later that day, Class 1-A were hanging out in their classroom. Oijiro said, "This is going to be great. I'm so glad we're all going together."

Tenya was looking at the itinerary for the camp, "Looks like we'll be at the training camp for a full week."

Izuku commented, "I've gotta find a bigger suitcase."

Kaminari added, "Yeah, I don't even have a bathing suit. Guess I need to buy some stuff."

Danny said, "I have a lot of stuff packed away. I should probably look through them to find what I need to bring."

Toru then suggested, "Guys, since we're off tomorrow and we finally finished exams, I have the best idea! Why doesn't Class 1-A go shopping together?"

Kaminari liked the idea, "Hey, yeah! We've never hung out as a class before."

Kirishima turned to Bakugo, "See you there, right?"

Bakugo just walked away, "I can't think of anything more annoying."

Izuku walked over to Shoto, "Will you come, Todoroki?"

"I visit my mom on days off," Shoto answered.

Danny said, "That's a good excuse. Good for you for rebuilding your relationship with your mom."

Shoto nodded thanks to Danny.

Izuku and Danny walked home from school together. Izuku then asked, "Hey, Danny. So your ultimate move, that destructive soundwave you produced in your final exam, what is it called?'

Danny answered, "I call it Ghostly Wail. And as you saw, I only use it as a last resort. For two reasons. One, it takes a lot of energy out of me, usually resulting in my returning to my normal form. And two, as you saw, it is very destructive. Hence why I didn't use it against Bakugo at the sports festival. I am very hesitant to use it in situations where someone could get hurt."

Izuku nodded in understanding, "But it was so cool though."

Danny chuckled, "Yeah, I guess it is."

The next day, several members of Class 1-A met up at the mall. Mina was so excited, "Oh, man, do I love this place. It's got a ton of different stores to shop in, and they're all super cool and hip. The Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall!"

Izuku started muttering to himself, "They carry designs for all body types, and have a range of gear for everyone from teens to seniors."

He kept muttering until Tokoyami told him, "You're going to scare the children. Stop."

Danny added, "A little harsh but true."

Several people around them recognized them from TV and started shouting at Class 1-A, giving them praise.

Ochaco said, "I can't believe they still remember that."

Danny turned invisible, which Momo noticed, "Still not a fan of attention, huh?"

"Nope," Danny answered.

"Then why don't you come with Jiro and I?" Momo suggested. "We're going to look for duffel bags."

"OK," Danny said as he turned visible again.

Kaminari said to Toru, "Guess I should probably buy some outdoor shoes for this thing."

Toru agreed, "Oh, that's smart, me too!"

Tenya interrupted, "The guide said your shoes should already be broken in, though. But, wait. Perhaps it's a mistake not to factor utility into the equation."

"So, let's split up and look around," Kirishima said. "We can meet here again when we're done. Let's meet back here at 3."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Danny said, "I'll meet up with you before that, Izuku. I can help you find a suitcase."

Izuku nodded, "OK, I'll wait then."

Then it was just Izuku and Ochaco. Izuku said, "Looks like it's just you and me left. So, what are you shopping for today? I wanna find a few heavier wrist weights so I can up my training. Plus, Danny will help me find a suitcase later."

Ochaco replied, "I mostly just need bug spray. Yep. Gotta keep those pests away!" She suddenly remembered what Aoyama told her and she quickly ran away, confusing Izuku.

Izuku stood there all by himself, "We came here as a class, but here I am, all by myself."

Izuku heard someone behind him, "Oh, it's someone from UA, nice. I want an autograph." That person put their arm around Izuku. "You were the one who got beat to hell at the sports festival, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Izuku said, slightly embarrassed.

The mystery person continued, "Aren't you one of the students who ran into the Hero Killer in the Hosu incident, too? You're practically famous."

"You sure do know a lot," Izuku commented.

The mystery person smirked, "What can I say? I'm just a big fan of yours. I can't believe I'm running into you again. It makes me think that it might not be a coincidence. No, no. This feels like it's destiny. Shame that your friend isn't with you. That ghost boy who won the sports festival." He put his hand around Izuku's neck, but kept his middle finger off. "Oh, right. From your point of view, we haven't met since the attack on UA. Why don't we spend some time catching up? Izuku Midoriya."

Izuku looked over his shoulder and was shocked to see that the mystery person was Shigaraki. Izuku started to freak out.

But Shigaraki whispered, "Act natural. Don't make a scene. I'm just an old friend who ran into you at the mall. Calm down and wipe that look off your face. I think we should have a conversation, is all. A friendly chat. Oh, and of course, if you wanna try to run or fight me in any way, well, it'll be fast. Soon as all five of my fingers touch your neck, your throat'll be the first thing that disintegrates. In a matter of seconds, you'll be nothing more than dust and powdered bone."

Izuku whispered back, "If you do that here where there are so many people, a hero would come and catch you in no time. You couldn't escape."

Shigaraki smirked, "Oh, I don't doubt that. But just look at these sheep. Any one of them could use their Quirks and start a massacre whenever they wanted. And yet they're all here, smiling. They think laws and rules will protect them, because they assume everyone has the same morals. They're convinced nothing bad could ever happen to them. After you, I could kill 20, 30, maybe even more before a pro showed up and managed to stop me."

Izuku realized he was right, "I get it. Let's talk."

What they didn't know was that Danny had seen them from the floor above as he had stepped outside the store Momo and Jiro were in to get some air. His ghostly eyes saw Shigaraki grab Izuku by the throat and guide his friend to sit down nearby. Danny knew he had to act carefully to save his friend. So he turned invisible and quietly started to float down to the pair.

Shigaraki chuckled, "This is nice. A real moment. When it comes down to it, I hate basically everything. But the Hero Killer pisses me off the most right now."

"Isn't he one of your guys?" Izuku asked.

Shigaraki answered, "Not technically, but that's what the media made it look like. And that's what my problem is. It's like suddenly, everyone is obsessed with that stupid Hero Killer. The attack on UA, the Nomus I released on Hosu, he upstaged all of it. No one's even giving me a second thought. Why is that? Despite what he claims to believe, all he really did was try and get rid of whatever things he didn't like. What do you think the difference is between us? Midoriya?"

Izuku said, "What's the difference? I don't understand you. Your goals and your villains, I don't agree with anything you do. I don't agree with the Hero Killer either. But I can understand him. At least, sort of. Because the Hero Killer and I have something in common. We're inspired by All Might. That night, he even saved me from that Nomu along with Danny. He's a maniac, but he doesn't destroy things just because it sounds fun. And when things were looking bad for him, he didn't abandon his mission like you did. Even after Danny stepped in to help. Even if the way he acted was wrong, he held true to his beliefs. That's the difference."

Shigaraki smirked, "Ah, that's like a weight off my chest. I see it now, all the dots connected. Why he makes me so angry, why you irritate me so much, everything makes sense. It's him. The problem is All Might. Yeah, that's it. That's the most rational explanation. I didn't see it, even though it was right in front of me the whole time. What was I worrying about so much? It's simple. He's why these morons are able to smile thoughtlessly! They feel so safe because of that garbage hero is smiling thoughtlessly, too, as if there's no one in the whole world he can't save. Oh, I'm glad we've had this chat. I feel better. Thank you, Midoriya. Now, there's only one more problem. That ghost friend of yours, Danny Fenton. He helped All Might beat my Nomu and even Stain made an interesting comment to him. Maybe we should talk to him next."

"I think this conversation is over," Danny's voice came out of nowhere. Suddenly Izuku was pulled from Shigaraki's grasp as Danny made Izuku intangible. Izuku coughed, trying to gain his breath back. Ochaco was nearby and saw this as she came back to apologize to Izuku and saw what happened.

Shigaraki smiled, "Ah, so you've been here the whole time. Nice. But it seems you're right. We are going to have our conversation later." He then whispered, "If you try to follow or capture me, I'll get angry and kill everyone here. Just try, ghost boy. I know you're fast and for some reason my Quirk doesn't work on you, but are you fast enough to stop me before I kill someone?"

Danny growled as the villain walked away with one hand out of his pocket, ready to attack. Ochaco ran up to Izuku to check on him, but Izuku instead said, "Hold on, Shigaraki. I have a question, too. What is All For One after?"

Shigaraki stopped, then said, "Who knows, really. But here's a little word of advice, Midoriya. Be careful. The next time we meet, I'll likely have to kill you." He suddenly whirled around and grabbed Danny by the arm, as he sensed Danny was trying to capture him. "As for you, ghost boy. You puzzle me so. Just who exactly are you?" But to Shigaraki's surprise, Danny's arm slowly started to decay. Danny turned intangible and backed away from the villain. He looked down at his arm as his ecto energy slowly started to heal his arm.

Shigaraki was shocked, "Interesting. So you aren't as immune as I thought you were. Very interesting. Maybe the next time I see you, we'll have our conversation and I'll kill you too." He then disappeared into the crowd, finally realizing that he had his conviction all along.

Danny looked back down at his arm and it was all healed. He realized that his ghost form was immune to Shigarkai's Quirk, but his human side wasn't. So he knew he had to be careful.

Ochaco reported the incident to the police and the mall closed down for the rest of the day. Izuku and Danny were taken to the police station and Tsukauchi interviewed both boys. "Huh. From what I'm hearing, it sounds like they're not a monolithic organization. And it sounds like his desire to defeat All Might hasn't changed a bit. Anyway, thanks for the report, boys. This helps."

Danny sighed, "I just wish I could have kept him from running away."

"Same here," Izuku agreed.

Tsukauchi said, "Don't worry. You both did a great job holding it together when so many lives were on the line. Most people would've panicked and lost their cool in that situation. No one got hurt today because you both were able to remain calm."

Tsukauchi guided the boys out of the station and All Might came running up to them. "What a relief. I'm so glad you both are OK. I'm sorry I couldn't be there to protect you and the others. Young Fenton, thank you for having Young Midoriya's back."

Danny replied, "You're welcome."

Izuku then asked, "Hey, All Might. Do you ever have times when you can't save all the people that you want to?"

All Might nodded, "Yes, I do. And often. Someone could be injured and calling out for my help anywhere in the world right now, and I would never know about it. I know it's frustrating, but we're only human. There will always be people beyond our reach that we can't protect. But that's all the more reason to stand tall and smile. So that the Symbol of Justice is always there. Even when I can't be, a flicker in people's hearts, whether they be a hero or a villain. I'm sure you feel similar, Young Fenton."

Danny nodded, "Yeah, I agree. There's people that I couldn't save. But I still stand tall."

Tsukauchi said, "Midoriya's worried about what Shigaraki said. But that was likely the villain's resentment talking. All Might here has never failed to save someone after arriving at an emergency."

But Danny noticed a look in All Might's face that said otherwise, but Danny kept his mouth shut.

Tsukauchi continued, "Think we've got everything we need, so you boys are good. We're all done here."

Suddenly Izuku's mom and Jazz were guided to where Izuku and Danny were. Izuku's mom ran up and hugged Izuku, "My baby! I can't do this anymore. I don't think my heart can handle another scare."

Izuku replied, "I'm sorry. Everything's fine. I'm OK, Mom. There's no need to cry. The heroes and the police have been taking really good care of me all night."

Jazz hit Danny on the head, "Don't scare me like that, little brother. You should have called sooner."

Danny sighed, "Sorry, sis. I got so wrapped up in everything."

Jazz then pulled Danny into a hug, "You're all I have left, little brother. I can't lose you too."

Danny hugged Jazz back, "I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here."

A police officer guided the four to a police car and drove them home.

Tsukauchi said to All Might, "This time, at least, it appears to have been a coincidental meeting. But there's still a pretty big possibility that those two or another student will be targeted in the future. Of course, we'll continue to be on high alert here, but the school should be ready to take drastic measures. The stronger the light shines, the greater the darkness. I think that, for the good of the students, you should consider leaving UA, All Might."

All Might sighed, "I've just gotten started. It's only been three months of teaching."

Tsukauchi chuckled, "Heh. I told you before that you weren't cut out for it. All For One again. This time we have to capture him."

All Might nodded, "One more fight. I'm counting on you again, Tsukauchi."

Elsewhere, Shigaraki's master, All For One, was sitting grinning to himself. The doctor next to him noticed, "You seem oddly happy today, Master. Is it because the League of Villains' roster continues to grow steadily?"

All For One coughed then said, "That's not why, Doctor. It's because Tomura Shigaraki has finally found his conviction. The League of Villains needs people who will get behind his principles. I'lll leave all the decisions to him for now. If he asks for help, then of course I'll step in to guide him. That's not a problem, as I see it. In fact, I've been waiting for the day when he seeks my aid. I'm preparing for him to become the next me. My successor."