Izuku let his arms twirl the blades around in the air, creating a trail of flame as the weight pulled him forward. The immense weight of the weapons caused him to fall into the ground along with the blades. He noticed that the blades were on their way to impale him.
Shit-!
But before the blades could even touch him, a warp gate intercepted it's path, causing it to fall into the other side of the room. Izuku tilted his head to see Kurogiri.
Holy shit, he had almost died!
"Sorry, I- I just can't get it right. The weight, I had to readjust my footing, and-"
"No need for apologies," Kurogiri lifted his hand up, "After all, baby steps, remember? Nobody can be good at anything right off the bat, you included."
Izuku clenched his fists, sweat draping loosely from the tip of his nose, "I can't do this."
"Of course you can. We have plenty of tim-"
"No. That's not what I meant," Izuku gripped the concrete below him, "I can't do...this."
"...Midoriya, we have discussed this-"
"I know, I know." Izuku said, standing up, "But I just.. can't. I know I have to, but I can't..I can't..."
Kurogiri remained silent, watching Izuku earnestly. He approached him, crouching to meet his eye-level, "Izuku."
Izuku tilted his head to meet the villain's gaze, or, the lack thereof. It was hard to read his expression, but the gesture he carried, it was tender, loving, and caring.
Why?
"I can't." Izuku repeated again, "I- I made the wrong choice. Had you not appeared out of the blue and...deceived me-"
"I'm sorry," Kurogiri interrupted, "But I had no choice."
"What do you mean you had no choice?!" Izuku sobbed, "I'm just a kid! You can't just rope me into something that I want no part of!" He yelled again, the despair in his tone surfacing itself.
Kurogiri was about to speak again, but something prevented him. It wasn't personal turmoil, or anything of the like. His head was throbbing. He collapsed into the ground, the sensation in his head causing him to writhe.
Izuku gasped, coming to his aid, "Kurogiri? Kurogiri! What's wrong?"
The pain in his head began to cease, as he regained his composure, "It's fine, it's fine, I had a... relapse. It's normal."
"Is it? Shouldn't we-"
The door to the training room opened before he could finish his sentence. It was the hand man from before. He had barged into the room with a strange man that Izuku hadn't seen before, at least, in his time in the bar.
With an annoyed grunt, the hand man threw the other man into the ground, "Finish him. I don't care."
"What?" Izuku asked.
"Did I stutter? Finish. Him." The hand man replied, crossing his arms, "If you don't have what it takes to be Sensei's accomplice, then I'll finish you myself."
Kurogiri interjected, standing up to his feet, "I'm not sure if the boss will appreciate that, Shigaraki."
"Sensei is wasting his precious time with this brat," Shigaraki countered, "though I'm willing to see how things will unfold with him."
"Okay, okay, first off, who is he?!" Izuku pointed at the whimpering man on the ground, "And what do you mean 'finish him'?"
"Sensei really didn't tell you to follow orders first, and question later. But I suppose I should humor you a little," Shigaraki chuckled, as he began, "He's just some random NPC that I found on the streets. And by 'finish him', I mean 'kill him'."
Izuku was shocked by that last part. That soon already?
"No, please! Don't! I can't..I can't die here!" The man pleaded. Though Shigaraki wasn't bothered. Neither was Kurogiri. Izuku on the other hand..
Izuku couldn't ignore the desperation latching onto that man's tone. He looked at him in the eyes, seeing the palpable fear them. He couldn't-
"Oh come off it already. It's just one man. Fucking kill him already." Shigaraki cut through his thoughts.
"But why?"
"Oi, oi, didn't you ask two questions already? Two's the limit. Can't ask more. Now, if you don't take the blades and drive those through that man's revolting throat, I might have to take them myself and kill you both with it." Shigaraki threatened, slipping his hands through his pocket.
Izuku's hands quivered. He relented to pick those wretched blades from the ground. He picked them nonetheless. He slowly approached the man, who in response, cowered in fear.
"Please! Please! PLEASE! NO!"
Izuku closed his eyes, tilting his head towards Shigaraki, "Please, I'm not ready yet."
"Sensei seems to think otherwise." Shigaraki retorted, "And you don't want to get on his bad side, brat, trust me. Now gain your XP and be done with it. I don't have all day."
"Perhaps-" Kurogiri tried to compromise.
But Shigaraki wasn't on board, "Shut your mouth. You only function as a fast travel mechanic, not a chatterbox. Sit back like the good dog you are."
Kurogiri didn't flinch from the verbal jab.
Shigaraki then turned his attention back to the boy, "Kill him."
Izuku's hands shook as he heard the command again. He advanced further, giving the man in plight an apologetic look, but that hardly helped. The man crawled on his back, tears squeezing themselves out of his eyes, "Please! Please!"
Then, a voice rang in the air, interjecting the situation, "Ah, Midoriya. Forgive me. Shigaraki can be hard-headed at times. He didn't even consult me first before putting you through this."
Izuku stopped right in his tracks. He closed his eyes, as he tilted his head towards wherever the source of the voice might be, "Did you put him up to this?"
"Hardly true," All For One denied through the speaker, "But since we're here, you might as well finish the job."
"No." Izuku's answer came profound, "I won't do it."
"You're in no position to refuse, Midoriya. But since I'm generous enough to let your defiant nature slide, allow me to sweeten the blow: That man you see in front of you is depraved. A predator unlike any other." All For One clarified.
Izuku scrutinised the bold statement, "...can you elaborate?"
"I believe that you are well-acquainted with the beasts alike to this man," All For One's voice grew even more sinister as he continued, "A man who separates the popular from the lame. Who discriminates, and in turn, inflict affliction to those who he deems as inferior."
"But he's still-"
"A human? Don't give me that half-witted excuse. A predator is still a predator regardless if they're a human or not. Taking their lives would only make this world a better place."
Izuku's legs were locked in place. It refused to advance even further to the man. But he would find his resolve to be tested as the villain spoke even further.
"Imagine the despair that you would prevent from happening if you put an end to this man's life. How many quirkless people would remain in their blissful lives, without so much as an obstacle or a hurdle to prevent them from achieving their life goals? You don't want them to face the same things as you did, do you? To be cast aside like a withering garbage,"
Izuku looked at the man even longer. An intrusive image came to his mind. The image of that primal rage, that discriminative nature, and that damned pomeranian hair..
"Alone,"
Izuku's legs began to move on it's own.
"Battered,"
He gritted his teeth. The man attempted to scurry his way from the boy's unbridled rage, but he was too injured to do so.
"Betrayed,"
The flames on his blades began to lit up, threatening to scorch the floor.
"Shunned,"
Izuku stopped when he was close enough to the cowering man. He lifted his blades, feeling every urge to drive them through this man's chest.
"Unwanted,"
Izuku was ready to plunge the blade into the man's chest.
...
...
...
...
He couldn't.
Izuku dropped to his knees, his grip loosening on the blades as they plummeted into the ground. He let out a choked noise as he buried his face into the ground, sobbing vehemently.
Shigaraki was about to disintegrate the boy into pieces, but Kurogiri stood in his way, "While I may respect you, you will not take a step closer to the boy."
"What's with the protective gesture, Kurogiri? Don't tell me you've gotten attached to this little twerp." Shigaraki snarled.
Kurogiri took a step closer, "Don't. Test. Me."
They stared at each other for a while, but All For One cut through their staring contest, "Leave it be, Shigaraki."
"Why?! That brat refused to follow orders, so I'll-"
"He made a progress." All For One said.
"Progress?! Wha-?"
"Insignificant as it may be, the boy almost killed that man. We all have to start somewhere. Wasn't that the case with you as well?" All For One inquired, putting Shigaraki to a stop.
He stood there for a while, before sighing in resignation, "Fine!"
He barged out of the door, slamming it violently. All that's left are the cowering man, Midoriya, and Kurogiri.
Kurogiri approached the man, dragging him to his feet, "You are free to leave."
"I am? A- a- are you being rea-"
Kurogiri warped him away before he could even finish. He looked at Midoriya on the floor. He approached him, as he gently wrapped his arms around the weeping boy, "Shhhhhh..."
"I can't.." Izuku wailed, holding onto Kurogiri's arms, "I can't..! Why?! Why did you...bring me here...!!?"
Kurogiri didn't answer. Truth to be told, he didn't know the answer himself. All he knew was that he had to do what the boss told him to do. That's all the principle that he lived by all these years: To comply to the orders of the one who's in charge.
"I'm sorry, Midoriya." That was all the words that he could muster. He scoffed internally at his incompetence. Of all the boys they had to pick..
They had to pick the most innocent. Whatever reasons All For One might had, it certainly doesn't justify-
...
Justify?
He found it amusing for him to think of such a word, given his current position.
All he could do was to console the boy until he's back on track. But how long was he going to keep this up? How long was it until the boy revolted against them, and potentially get himself killed in the process?
No matter. When that time comes...
I will protect you.