A/N: This chapter has actually been out on for about a week. I don't know if that will be a common thing, but there's always the chance for early access over there.

Also, I don't think it'll take a full week or more from this point on, that was kind of an accident.

But, ANYWAY, this chapter is another peek into the direction I'm taking Tomura in this story. I'm real excited for him, I think there's something cooking over there.

Next time is Summer Camp! This story is about to...get kind of nuts...

But trust me.

...Please trust me.

…~AIV~...

(A Few Days Later: Near Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall)

It really was comical, wasn't it?

All these people walking around, smiling and laughing like the world wasn't a complete shithole under the surface.

Tomura sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he glowered at everyone around. That was just it, wasn't it? "Under the surface." Nobody ever wanted to look that deep, but the world praised those who did.

Like Stain.

"Bloodlust without conviction…" Tomura muttered under his breath. I mean, it's not like he could blame Stain for thinking like that. He wasn't totally wrong either.

He wanted All Might out of revenge, not some sort of grand belief. Changing the status quo was never his goal, it's just what would happen if All Might was killed. But, it's not like the Hero Killer knew that. It wasn't like he was ever gonna explain that to him either. Hell, the public certainly didn't know about his revenge.

But, it's not like the public even actually cared, anyway. Stain's own followers didn't even care.

Every league member he had hired so far, while some may not admit it, couldn't give a single shit about Stain (except for Spinner). He could read right through them. So, what was all this about anyway?

What the hell was the League supposed to be? What did they think of him if they didn't even join for Stain in the first place?

What? Did the public think he was some kind of anarchist? It's not like it mattered, because either way nobody cared. Everyone knew both the USJ and Hosu were the League, and yet…

Nobody.

Gives.

A.

Shit.

Stain was just a People Pleaser's Bad Guy. Everybody loved the "Anti-Villian".

It's not like anybody actually believed in him. Most would rather he go to jail or die, but his convictions make him interesting. And, yet, even now nobody ever actually wonders why Stain does what he does. They know what he believes, but nobody cares to look into the so-called corruption he fights against.

Nobody cares. Ever.

The funny part was, he didn't care either. At least, so he thought.

With all of these new recruits under his command, he had been thinking. He had his goals, but what about besides All Might? What was he doing? What was he supposed to lead the League towards when he had no destination.

What if things went well and All Might actually died. The fuck would he do then?

Bloodlust without conviction was true, but what convictions did he even have to offer?

Change the status quo? Into what? What did All For One even want? He was also so dodgy with his answers about it. Control? That was obvious, but what for?

Control over the world just seemed so boring. What would even be the point?

No, there had to be something else underlying beneath all of this.

Tomura suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes catching familiar heads of green hair and purple hair in the distance. No fucking way the universe just aligned the stars for a coincidence like this. It's not like he could even do anything to them, he wasn't even sure he wanted to. But…

Maybe he just needed somebody else's perspective.

…~AIV~...

(Same Time: Near Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall)

"...Okay, I've been holding off on asking, but what's with the duffle bag?"

Kyouka blushed heavily as they walked through the crowds, the shopping mall approaching. Hooked around her shoulders was a large, empty, black duffle bag. One that she had given zero explanation for.

"It's a surprise. No more questions."

"Will I find out what the surprise is today?"

Kyouka hugged his arm to her chest, her jacks wrapping around his wrist, "If you play your cards right."

"Well, I've never played my cards wrong with you, so I think the odds are in my favor. By the way, as much as it pains me to say it, you might wanna let go. Unless you want to stop your game with Ashido?"

"Bah, damn it, you're right." Kyouka let go of Izuku's arm with an aggravated groan, instead hugging her striped cardigan closer around her. "The price I pay for messing with people."

"We can just go public at this point. I don't think anyone in our class would be at all surprised by now."

"I know, but the longer I can keep this up, the more satisfying it'll be when Ashido learns we've been together for a long time right under her gossiping nose."

"Hehehe. Don't worry. We'll make up for the lost time later."

Kyouka's cheeks became dusted with pink as she lightly bumped into him, "Make up for it how, exactly?"

"Hm? Oh! U-Uh, hehe…" Izuku turned deep red, pocketing his hands into his jeans as he smiled at her, "However we want. I have a few ideas, though."

"I think I'm having the same ideas," Kyouka smiled back before turning her gaze back in front of them.

Ever since Kyouka's birthday a few nights ago, they had only repeated their "activities" once. They were just lucky enough that Kyouka's parents decided to have a date night, leaving them alone at the Jirou residence.

It was still a new experience, and it felt clumsy as they did it. But…

Fucking hell, it was awesome.

Maybe it was just teenage hormones in overdrive, but it was becoming obvious how much both of them were chomping at the bit just for a little bit more alone time. Sure, they could go to the beach again, but they didn't want to risk it again. At least, not for a little bit.

They were just really hoping that they hadn't lucked out the first time with nobody showing up.

But, it was like a whole new doorway of their relationship had been opened, further elevating their already overflowing love. Now they just had another outlet to channel that love through.

"Hopefully we can get back before my parents come back from the studio."

"Yeah, I-..." When Izuku turned to look at Kyouka, his eyes caught something in the distance. For just a split second, he could have sworn he saw someone just…staring at them. He looked up, only to see the mass of people sweep away whatever he had seen.

"You okay?" Kyouka questioned him, following his gaze to look around at the crowds. "Did you see something?"

"I-...I don't know. I don't think so…"

"Izuku! Kyouka! Over here!" They were cut off as they turned to see Ochako waving at them from one of the outside food court tables, with Momo and Tenya at the table with her. Kyouka waved back, heading over to their friends. Izuku looked back over at the crowd, quickly scanning the crowd again before following Kyouka. "Are you guys excited for camp?"

"Spending a month with Mr. Aizawa in the woods?" Kyouka replied, dryly. "Oh, no, I'm ecstatic."

"Aw, c'mon, just think of it like one big sleepover…in the woods…where we do nothing but train…for a month. Okay, I'm scared now."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Iida cut in optimistically. "We'll all be together, so at least we have that solace if Mr. Aizawa truly puts us through hell."

"Speaking of together," Momo said, standing up from the table. "Ashido just said she's about to reach the front entrance with the others. Is this it? We're short a couple heads."

Ochako shrugged, "I called Mei. Even if she's not going to camp, I thought we could hang out. But, apparently she's working on a, and I quote, 'Double-Decker Ambulance'. So, there's that. You guys think Shoto is coming?"

Kyouka raised a brow at her, "...Shoto in a public mall, surrounded by thousands of people?"

Ochako opened her mouth to dispute, but quickly closed it, "Yeah, good point."

Momo simply waved it off, "I'll buy a few extra supplies, just in case he needs them. Oh, and I'm buying all of Ochako's supplies."

"Wh-?! No, Momo, I can't accept tha-"

"Too late! Off we go everyone," Momo shouldered her purse, marching away with a sputtering Ochako behind her.

Iida chuckled, raising a brow at Kyouka, "I think Momo is beginning to take after you a little bit."

"Ah, yes. Like a virus, my sass spreads."

"Hmhmhm. Alright, let's follow them."

"Yeah. Izuku, let's…Izuku?" Kyouka turned around as Iida went after the other two, finding Izuku still searching through the crowds of people. "Izuku? What's wrong?"

"Huh?" He jumped on the spot, looking back at Kyouka. "Wh-What? Where are the others?"

"...They went to find our class," Kyouka peered at him, realizing Izuku wasn't even present for their entire conversation. "Are you okay? Did you see something again?"

"No, but…I don't know. I…I just feel off. I can't explain it, but it's almost like I can just feel someone out there, watching me. Something in my head's just poking me, telling me somethings not right."

"I know the feeling."

"N-No, like…seriously, I can feel it. It's distant, but…it's there."

"...Okay. Stick close. I'll keep my jacks tuned." She took his hand, leading him in the direction their friends went. "It'll be tough to hear in the mall, but I'll try my best."

"Alright," Izuku sighed, continuing to look around as he walked. "Once we're with our friends, it'll be tough for anyone to actually attack. If there's anyone actually out there, that is. For all I know, Nana is somehow playing tricks on me."

"She can do that?"

"I have no clue, but I'm being optimistic here."

They reached the front entrance of the mall, walking through the automatic doors to see most of their class gathered together near some benches. Izuku felt much safer once he was with the group, the underlying sense of danger quickly dissipating. He didn't let his guard down though, as he blended in with his mingling classmates, scanning faces in the crowd.

Kyouka found one person, and immediately zeroed in on them. She stood behind the little man, gazing down grimly.

"Hello there…" Mineta suddenly froze, shakily turning around to look up at Kyouka, her lethal gaze paralyzing him immediately. "You gonna be on your best behavior today?"

"Y-Y-Yes, ma'am."

"Hm. I guess we'll see…" Her jack shot down, stopping mere centimeters from his eye, "...about that. Run along now."

"U-U-UAAAAH!" Mineta ran off, with a confused Kaminari following behind him, asking what was wrong.

Izuku knit his brows together as he watched the whole thing go down, looking both thoughtful and confused. '...I should probably be worried that I found that incredibly sexy.'

Kyouka turned back to him, her smug expression on full display, "Well, that felt good. Really, I'm just wondering why he even showed up after the locker room thing."

Izuku shrugged, "If he's learned his lesson, then maybe we can give him a chance."

"Hm…How about no?"

"Kyouka…"

"Urgh, fine! Maybe…in like five years."

"It's the best I'm gonna get from you, so I'll say it's a deal."

"Hey, guys!" Izuku and Kyouka turned to Mina as she called to them, standing in a group with Sero and Kirishima. "We're going shoe shopping. Wanna come?"

"Nah, I'm good on shoes," Kyouka shrugged. "I've got something I've gotta do first anyway."

Izuku shook his head, "I don't need new ones. We'll meet you in the food court later."

They waved them off, along with their other classmates, leaving them to decide where to go first.

Once they were alone, Izuku turned to Kyouka, a brow raised, "Something you have to do first? Is this for the duffel bag?"

"Maybe…" Kyouka shifted her eyes. "But, it can wait. We just decided to stick together."

"Is it really such a big surprise that I can't just go with you to whatever store you need to go to?"

"We-...No, I…" Kyouka sputtered, really not wanting to give anything away.

"What if I just sit outside the store?"

"You will immediately know what it is the moment you see the store."

Izuku scoffed, a smile creeping up on his lips, "...Alright, fine. Go, okay?"

"No, you just sai-"

"Forget what I said," Izuku smiled, taking her hand in his. "I'll be okay for a bit, I'm probably just getting paranoid. I'll go find our friends, the store they went to is close by."

"Mmm…Are you sure?"

"Just go," Izuku chuckled, kissing her knuckles. "I have to assume this surprise will be worth it after all this."

"It will be, I promise!" She pecked his cheek, rushing off down the northern wing of the mall, "I'll be ten minutes at the absolute most! Tell our friends I'm in the bathroom! I love you!"

Kyouka quickly reached into her duffel bag once she was far enough away from Izuku, pulling out the dark hoodie and sunglasses kept inside.

'Okay, Kyouka. Mission Start.'

Izuku watched her disappear, laughing to himself. He sighed, turning around to head towards the sporting/outdoors store. He weaved his way through people, seeing the store sign just a few outlets down. Maybe he really was just being paranoi-

Izuku froze on the spot, the tingling echo in the back of his mind suddenly returning. "Oh…"

"Well, whaddya know? It's my good buddy, Midoriya!"

"Shit…" Izuku felt a hand clamp down on the back of his neck, gripping tightly as he yanked Izuku around to face him. At first, Izuku didn't recognize the face at all, he had never seen it before. But, the strands of gray-blue hair and the dead gray eyes blasted through his memory until he knew exactly who he was looking at, and what the hand around his neck could do.

"Let's have a chat."

…~AIV~...

(Same Time: Unknown Store in Kiyashi Mall)

"Uh...is this a robbery?"

The store clerk looked the customer up and down, from her pulled up dark hoodie, sunglasses, and shady demeanor.

"What?!" Kyouka asked. "No! I just...I just need to buy these things. And could you please put it in this duffel bag?"

Kyouka threw the large black bag on top of the counter, and the cashier raised a brow. "...You sure this isn't a robbery?"

"Oh come o-! Look, I'm here on a shopping trip with my friends, but I really don't want them knowing I was in here. They think I'm in the bathroom right now."

"Honey, this is a lingerie store. You're supposed to be in here."

"Would you please just let me buy this stuff?!"

"Alright, alright, fine." The cashier began picking up all the clothing items Kyouka put on the counter and scanning them before placing them in the duffel bag as asked. "Jeez, this is clearly your first time doing this. So, who's the lucky guy? Or girl?"

"None of your business."

"Well, whoever they are, I hope they like black. Because every single item you grabbed is black. Splash some color in. They'll love it."

Kyouka stood still, tapping her feet as if stubbornly waiting for her items. But, she then swiveled around and grabbed matching sets of lace in different styles and colors of greens, reds, whites, violets, and blues.

"Wow, I said some color. Not the entire rainbow."

"Just take my damn money and shame."

The cashier grabbed the new items and scanned them, but lifted up the final item. "Ooh, red lace bralette. He'll love this."

"Shut up!"

"So it is a guy." Kyouka jammed her debit card into the machine, entered her pin with quick motions and made her quick exit.

…~AIV~...

"So, how's it goin', Midoriya?"

"What do you want?"

"Great. Oh, me? Just fine, thanks for asking," Tomura joked, sighing as he scanned the people walking around. "I wanna talk, that's all."

Izuku's mind was running a million kilometers per hour, searching for some way to get out of this. The only one he could think of was going all out and ripping off Tomura's arm, but thousands of innocent bystanders were at risk no matter what he did. So, he took a deep breath, sat up straight, and tried to keep up a mask of confidence.

"Then talk."

"Hmhmhm, alright, now we're in business." Tomura walked them to one of the brick tree rings, shoving Izuku down to sit without letting go of his neck. "Just act natural, and my pinkie won't slip. I wanna talk about the Hero Killer."

"...Wait, what?"

"Yeah, I know, I wish I didn't have to. Just listen. What do you think of him?"

Izuku knit his brows together, utterly confused, but he complied, "He's a murde-"

"Hold it," Tomura lightly squeezed his throat, stopping Izuku from continuing. "I should have been more specific. What do you think of Stain, and not the cliche heroic answer you're obligated to give?"

"That is my answer. He's a psychotic murderer. But, i-if you strip his intentions down to bare bones, then you could argue them as 'good' motivations, but it doesn't stop him from being what he is. I can at least understand him. He wants to change society, so at bare minimum that's something. Killing All Might isn't enough. Most villains want to kill All Might. You're just another run-of-the-mill, generic villain group." Izuku tried to add some venom into his last sentence, keeping his walls up as best as he could.

"Hm, unfortunately, I know you're right…"

Izuku's eyes widened for a split second, surprised by how casually Tomura agreed with him. "...Y-Yeah. But, why does that matter to you, anyway? If all you want is to kill All Might, why do you want people to care about you?"

"Not me, just fucking something. I've never cared about this world, because it's never given me anything to care about. Not for a long time, that is. But, after everything I've done, it's like I've been shouting out in space where nobody can hear me. I wasn't looking for a reaction, and yet I'm so bothered by the fact that there hasn't been any. Stain kills a couple heroes nobody's ever even fucking heard of, and everyone's up in arms about him. Hell, most of his followers are already criminals, doing nothing better than what Stain did. And, yet, suddenly they flock to him for doing the same damn thing they were already doing; fighting heroes and talking about how shitty the world is. But, I've just been thinking about it all. If I kill All Might, what changes? Do I just go back to doing jack shit? I've spent my entire life just thinking about destroying what I hate, but where does that even lead? No, maybe…maybe I can change it. But, how? What for?"

"Ch-Change it? F-...For the better?"

"Hm, I have a strong feeling you and I have very different definitions of 'better'. But…maybe. I don't even know what I want yet."

Izuku gave an aggravated sigh, "I can't help you with that."

"...That's where you might be wrong. There's something else I wanted to talk about."

"And if I'm done helping you?"

Tomura scoffed, "Kid, do I really need to answer that?"

"...You can't kill me."

Tomura chuckled, his grip around Izuku's neck tightening, "Really? And why is that?"

"You want to know why people followed the Hero Killer? It's because some of his followers are coming to you now, right? Whether they don't really care about Stain or not, you can't lead what you don't understand. I-If they figure out he didn't work for you, then you'll lose them all."

"Wait," Tomura stopped him, "You know about that?"

"H-He told me after our fight. He said to watch out for you. Clearly I didn't listen well enough. But, that just means you're bluffing your way through your league."

"And?"

"And, what exactly are they gonna think when they see on the news that their leader killed the kid who Stain deemed a true hero?" Izuku felt Tomura tense up, a growl in his throat. He never thought he would see the day where he would be wearing his "Stain-Follower Immunity" badge with pride. "Everything would fall apart. I also can see from this conversation that you're clearly not of the upper echelon of villains. And, there's no way you made those Nomu yourself."

"Hmm…" Tomura gripped harder, his frustration building. Perhaps this was where Kyouka's effect on Izuku didn't help, but he couldn't stop the ball from rolling.

"What I mean is, I'm sure you don't want to upset whoever you answer to." Izuku didn't want to think about just how pleased Tomura's most probable leader actually would be if he unknowingly killed the next successor to One For All. "Killing me is a death sentence for you and your group. It would all be meaningless."

They sat in silence for a bit, letting Tomura weigh his options. And, unfortunately for him, he really only had the one.

"Hehehe…I've gotta admit, I thought you were just an annoying side quest. Turns out you're a side boss I'm not the right level for…just yet. Hm…You know what? Don't make a scene."

Tomura suddenly let Izuku go, bringing his hand back into his lap. Izuku coughed and sputtered, rubbing his throat, grateful for clear airways again. He almost jumped up, but remembered Tomura's warning.

Instead, he slid away, staying out of arm's reach.

"Don't bother attacking," Tomura side-eyed him, "We both know I wasn't bluffing when I said I would start disintegrating everyone I could."

Izuku didn't respond immediately. He simply peered at the villain curiously, but with an edge in his glare. "...Why aren't you running?"

Tomura shrugged, pocketing his hands, "Because the interrogation part is over."

"...Which starts the next part, which would be…?"

"...You'd be surprised how little I like to fight. I mean, obviously I'll do it. But, that doesn't mean I find it fun. It's tiring, honestly."

Izuku squinted at Tomura, clearly confused. "So the part where you suddenly want to talk like normal people?"

"Let's both be honest here. Neither of us is going to attack the other. We both know it's far too risky, so we're stuck here. You can walk away, find your girlfriend, whatever. I won't be here when you get back. Not that you could attack me then, either. Hands where I can see them, by the way."

"You think I'm dumb enough to try and text for help right in front of you?"

"No, I'd like to think you're not."

Okay, now Izuku was even more confused. Was that, sort of, a compliment?

"What's this about?"

"Actually open to talk? You really are interesting. Definitely more interesting than most."

Izuku rested his arms on his knees as he gazed out towards the crowd. He kept his body tense, and Shigaraki in the corner of his eye. He was much faster than him, but Tomura really did seem like he didn't want to attack. His nerves were still going off the charts, but that funny feeling he had earlier was gone. If Izuku couldn't risk attacking, he would at least learn what he could. Play along.

…Which meant taking a gamble.

"I'm interesting because you know, right?"

Tomura raised a brow, looking over to the teen, "Know what?"

Izuku raised his hand up, letting cyan lightning dance around his fingers. "You know…"

Tomura dismissively looked away, pursing his lips, "Oh, that. Yeah, I know. Big deal. You know who I work for, don't you?"

"I do," Izuku nodded, turning back towards the crowd. "Which is why I figured you'd care."

"Nah," Tomura shrugged. "I guess I gotta care eventually. But, for now, it's not what intrigues me. I find you interesting, because I used to think you were just All Might's Little Helper. Well, I mean, you are. But, you're more."

"Uh…Thanks?

"Hmhm, not specifically a compliment, but sure."

"Then what did you mean by it?"

Tomura hummed to himself, thinking of how to properly respond. "I'll answer your question with another question. Not to give you too much of a peek behind the scenes, but would you call me crazy if I said I was considering trying to recruit you?"

Izuku's eyes nearly bulged out of his head, "Yes. Absolutely."

Tomura chuckled, "Yeah, I thought so. I realized quickly that you would never turn. Turning All Might's successor? No one's that good. But, I could see something in you that made me pause. At least, for just a moment."

"...And what would that be?" Izuku had to admit, he was fully in the conversation now.

"Back at the Sports Festival, at first I thought you were insane. Forcing Endeavor's kid to use his fire like that? You had him, plain and simple. But, you refused to win like that. Thought it was a pride thing. But, then, along came Sparky Sparky Big Mouth. Your fight with him? Holy shit, that was the best fight the Sports Festival had in years. Knockdown, drag out, no holds barred, just beating the shit out of each other. Your other fights weren't like that. Then, and I don't know what he said to you, his explosions were too loud, but you snapped. You started beating, and beating, and beating, and I wasn't sure you'd ever stop. I saw that spark of rage in your eyes during your first fight with that indigo-haired kid, but this was nothing compared to that. It was all made clear. You two had history. You have history, a dark one. You've got something inside of you, itching and begging to be let out. Something filled with spite, anger, revenge."

"You d-"

"Don't tell me I'm wrong. I'm not saying you're a villain, I've made that clear. All I'm saying is, I can recognize it from a mile away. I can see it better than anybody, even better than All For One. Those tears when All Might gave you your medal, he just thought it was usual tears of joy. It made him laugh. Me? No. No, those were tears of relief. Years of pain led to that moment." Tomura looked back to Izuku, his apathetic look gone. This time, a steely gaze was in his eyes. "...I can only hope to have a moment like that in my life. I knew then that your inner demons wouldn't be enough to turn you. Your inner demons are what push you, drive you further into being a hero. They fuel the fire in your eyes. You turn hatred and pain into power, into hope for others…Honestly, I can see why the Hero Killer respects you. It's funny, you know? The slightest change in your story, and you and I could have been in this together. But, it's too late for that."

Izuku didn't know what to feel. This was so far away from what he expected from this conversation. He never thought he could be a villain, he was far too obsessed with heroes when he was little. It was a part of his core.

But, that was something UA didn't seem to teach. That being, the slightest change in people's lives could set them on completely different life paths. Even lives of crime.

"...All Might has more pain inside than you'd think. Why hate him then?"

Tomura smirked, turning back towards the crowd, "Can't share that information. Sorry. You'll know eventually, I'm sure."

"...What does your pain turn into?"

Tomura scoffed, suppressing a laugh, "What do you think? My pain turns into more pain. My hatred turns into more hatred."

Izuku sat up straight, furrowing his brow, "...It doesn't have to."

"What? Trying to recruit me now?"

"You can choose what to do with your darkness. I did. Maybe I know what it's like to shout into a void, only for it to spit back at you."

"...Hm. You know, I believe you do. But, trust me when I say it's too late for me. I didn't get a choice."

"I know how that feels. I spent over a decade thinking I never had a choice, like I was cursed. I still think that way a lot. But, I still chose to-"

"You're far, far too late." Tomura cut him off, "But…I suppose I appreciate the effort. It's funny, but…I kinda like you, kid. I get you, I think. I might actually regret killing you in the future. But, it seems our time is up. Nice chatting with you, Midoriya. This helped me more than you know."

Izuku turned back to the crowd to see Kyouka round the corner, a…suspiciously large duffel bag hanging from her shoulder. "W-Wait, I-..."

But, when he turned back, Tomura was gone. Izuku jumped up, searching through the horde of people walking, only to find nothing.

Izuku felt a jack wrap around his waist, turning him around to Kyouka's smiling face. "Hey. Don't ask me what's in the bag. It's a surprise. One you're hopefully gonna lo-...What's wrong?"

"...We need to call All Might."

…~AIV~...

(A Few Minutes Later: Outside of Kiyashi Mall)

That was good.

That was really good.

Who knew that the person he needed to open his eyes was his supposed destined enemy?

He didn't know exactly what Midoriya's past was, but he did know there had to be something there they had in common. Whatever Midoriya had faced in his past, he was strong enough to resist, to be better.

He was right to accuse All For One of overconfidence. Midoriya was even more than originally thought.

But, perhaps the most important thing he learned was he had an inkling of what path he needed to walk now.

Stain and Midoriya were driven by their pasts, fueling their convictions. Tomura's past fueled his revenge, his nightmares, his hatred. But, once his vengeance was dealt…

Perhaps, pasts like theirs didn't need to happen anymore.

"Thanks, Midoriya…Let's see where this takes us."

He sent off a quick text, turning into a nearby alley as patrolling officers walked by. They missed the last specks of darkness that faded into the shadows as the portal vanished, along with Tomura.

…~AIV~...

(A Few Minutes Later: Near Kiyashi Mall)

"And we're not alerting the police that there's a psycho running around the mall, why?" Kyouka questioned her boyfriend as they sat as far out of the way from people as they could, settling on the outside dining area of a nearby closed restaurant.

Izuku shook his head, raising his phone to his ear as All Might's phone rang, "How many people would he kill, including every officer in the building? He wasn't violent to me, but he will be if we say something."

"And calling All Might here won't?"

"...Damn it," Izuku almost ended the phone call, but it was too late.

The other line clicked as All Might picked up the call, "Young Midoriya, what's wrong?"

Izuku turned to Kyouka with wide eyes, wondering what to say, and she merely shrugged at him. "Okay, All Might, don't freak out…"

"Oh boy."

"...I kind of just met Shigaraki…at the mall."

"..."

"All Might?"

"..."

Izuku turned back to Kyouka, worry in his eyes as he was continuously met with silence. "...All Migh-?"

***CRASH!***

The couple jumped as something careened into the alley nearby, with dust and debris dispersing into the air from around the corner. Seemingly from out of nowhere, Toshinori stumbled out from the alley in his hero form, hacking up a storm.

"I-! Hah, holy shit, I'm here! Hah…Hah…I'm here! Where is he?!"

"...How did you find us?" Kyouka questioned.

"Whe-...?" Toshinori looked around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. He popped out of his hero form, turning to his students. "...Is there no danger?"

Izuku pocketed his phone, shaking his head, "He's long gone by now."

"Jesus Christ, kid! Don't scare me like that!"

"I-I said don't freak out!"

"And you expect me not to?!"

"Wh-? Just, look, we're trying not to cause a panic. I'd say it's safe to believe Shigaraki when he threatened to start disintegrating people on the spot if we went after him, and that's if he's even still here, which I highly doubt. All of it was less scary and more, uh…strange."

Kyouka and Toshinori glanced at each other before looking back at Izuku, "...Strange how?" / "...Strange how?"

"He sort of…asked me for advice. We-"

"Hold on," Toshinori stopped him, pulling out his phone. "We better tell Tsukauchi. He's leading the investigation into the League, and anything he can learn about Shigaraki, the better. Alright, I've told him we're on our way to the station. Let's go."

"We catching a train?" Kyouka asked.

…Toshinori merely smirked at them.

…~AIV~...

"AAAAAAAAH!" Kyouka shut her eyes, clutching onto All Might's arm for dear life as they soared across the Musutafu cityscape. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?! WHY WOULD YOU SUGGEST THIS?!

All Might chuckled, landing on the roof of a skyscraper and bouncing off once more, "Why did you agree to it?! What's with the duffel bag, by the way?!"

"NOTHING!" Kyouka growled, still refusing to look down at the city below. She eyed Izuku, who was smiling to himself as he casually held onto All Might's shoulder. "HOW ARE YOU NOT SCARED?!"

Izuku shrugged, watching the people below and yelling over the wind, "I'm used to it! With powers like mine, you learn not to be scared of heights! Besides, not my first time up here! First time we met, actually! Jumped right onto All Might's leg just to ask him a question!"

"Hahaha! Good times, my boy!"

"Actually, that day was horrific in a multitude of ways for me!"

"..." / "..."

"E-Eh, but it ended great!"

With that, they landed in the side alley next to Musutafu Central Police Department. Kyouka quickly let go of All Might, and fell to her knees. "Ground! I'll never take you for granted again!"

Izuku laughed, hopping down next to her, "Was it really that scary?"

"Yes!" Kyouka shouted, swiveling around to her boyfriend, "...But, kinda awesome. I could get used to that."

"Well, when I get a handle on my strength, I'll take you for a ride."

A side door ahead of them suddenly opened, revealing Tsukauchi on the other side, "Ah, you're here. And…I see you had quite the trip."

He chuckled at the two teenagers with red cheeks and windswept hair. Toshinori popped out of his hero form with a shrug, "Why waste time on trains when you have the All Might Fast Pass?"

"I could think of a few reasons," Tsukauchi chuckled, walking over to Izuku and holding his hand out, "Izuku Midoriya? Detective Tsukauchi. It's nice to finally put a face to the name."

Izuku took the man's hand and bowed his head, "Likewise."

He extended the same courtesy to Kyouka, shaking her hand as well, "And the 'pure of heart smartmouth' Kyouka Jirou, I presume? Toshinori's words, not mine."

"Is it conceited to say he's not wrong?" Kyouka smiled as she shook his hand.

"Not at all. In fact, I think you just proved his point," Tsukauchi chuckled. "Alright, follow me. I've booked us an interrogation room. I have a feeling some of the details should be kept between the four of us."

They were led through the side door and through some light gray hallways. Thankfully, it seemed fairly barren in the area they were taken through. The less people saw them, the better. Eventually, they found themselves in the standard interrogation rooms seen in every movie. Gray walls, a single table in the center, and a two-way mirror.

"Please," Tsukauchi gestured to one of the chairs, pulling out his notepad. "So, you saw Shigaraki at the mall?"

Izuku took a seat, with Kyouka leaning against the back of the chair and All Might crossing his arms as he stood next to the table, "It's more like he saw me. I don't know how long he was watching us, but he waited until I was alone."

"Is there any way he knew you'd be there? Perhaps, keep track of your messages somehow?"

Izuku shook his head, "I never texted about it. We learned about the meet-up from our friends at a party. Trust me when I say that my luck is so bad that meeting Shigaraki on pure coincidence is completely believable."

"It's true." / "It's true." Kyouka and Toshinori both confirmed for him.

Tsukauchi hummed to himself as he wrote down some notes, "Yikes. I'll take your word for it then. So, what happened when he found you?"

"He pretended to be my friend and grabbed me by the back of my neck, trying to be inconspicuous. And then we talked."

"You just…talked?"

"Yeah, just talked. He threatened me at first, but he eased up at the end. In the beginning, he asked me about the Hero Killer, wondering why people cared about him so much, and nobody cared about the League. Which was really strange, since he also expressed that he couldn't care less that he wasn't some famous villain group. He didn't tell me his end goals, but they seem very separate from other villains, even whatever the rest of the League is after."

"Sounds like he's at a crossroad, and can't decide on where to go due to an internal crisis," Tsukauchi nodded as he continued to write. "That could be good, because it might leave the League vulnerable. Or, it's very bad, because he might find an entirely new purpose to drive himself with."

"One thing he made certain, is that he wants to kill All Might. But, I…I don't think it's because of All For One."

This caused everyone's brows to rise, leaving Toshinori to look at his student questioningly, "What makes you say that?"

"I-I took a gamble, asked him if he knew about One For All. He said he did, but he really couldn't care less about it. He mentioned that he would probably be made to care eventually, but it didn't interest him."

Tsukauchi scoffed, leaning back into his chair as he processed the information, "He and All For One aren't on the same page? That's…very interesting. What next?"

"He started talking about what killing All Might would accomplish if he had no real plan besides that. He and Stain weren't working together, but ironically the Hero Killer might have actually inspired him. He started wondering about how he could change the world."

"Change the world…the last lines you ever want to hear from a villain."

"After that, it was kind of a normal conversation. He asked about my past, said he understood, and…he said he sort of liked me."

Tsukauchi and Toshinori looked at one another with a raised brow, with the detective turning back to Izuk, "...He liked you?"

"I-It's complicated. He was trying to decipher some of my past, thought he could understand me."

"Really? Like what about your past?"

"Ahem," Toshinori cleared his throat, shaking his head at Tsukauchi, silently signaling to him the kind of territory they were breaching upon.

"Ah, well…" Tsukauchi turned back to Izuku, moving on from the subject. "Did you two get anywhere from that?"

Izuku shrugged, "He did, apparently. I don't know what about, though. But, I think I believe him, about all of it. I don't think he lied once. He even told me that he originally wanted to recruit me."

"Ha!" Toshinori laughed. "You? He doesn't seem to understand you like he thought he did."

"No, it wasn't like that. He knew we'd still fight, acted like it was inevitable. He told me it was impossible to turn me, and that maybe in another life we'd be friends."

Tsukauchi scoffed, writing more into his notes, "The hell? That's definitely a new one for me. At least, hearing it from his type."

"...I-I don't know, but…I really don't think he was lying, or trying to manipulate me. I don't know, he just seems different somehow. He got more right about me than I care to admit."

"Hmm. I'm sorry to ask, I'll try and make the question as vague as possible, but…Saying Shigaraki could understand and relate to your past, what would that mean about his own?"

"...That despite everything he's putting up, he's hurt."

"Mm. Anything else?"

Izuku shook his head, taking a deep breath, "No, I don't think so."

Tsukauchi nodded, flipping his notepad closed, "That was certainly interesting. I'm not sure how much it helps in terms of taking down the League, but understanding your enemy is essential. I'll have to think on this, especially with how doom impending he sounds. Thank you for your time, and it was an honor to meet you. Both of you."

Izuku shook his hand again as he stood up, "Same here."

"Thanks, Tsukauchi. I hope this helps," All Might patted his friend's shoulder, turning to his students. "Alright, let's get you both ho-"

"Nuh-uh!" Kyouka cut him off. "We'll take the train, thank you very much."

"Aw, c'mon, that's boring!"

"Actually, All Might," Izuku interjected, "after the day we've had, I'll stick to boring for once."

"Bah, whatever. You two go ahead, I'm gonna catch up with Tsukauchi."

Bidding their goodbyes to All Might, the teenagers walked out of the interrogation room, leaving the adults to their business.

Tsukauchi sighed, rubbing his temples as he pocketed his notepad, "This is sounding scarier and scarier as the days go by. Let's catch All For One this time, Toshinori."

"Yeah, sure…'catch'…"Toshinori turned around, facing his friend with a steeled gaze. "He's done enough. He can come after me all he wants, but not them. Not those kids. I don't know how this will all end. I don't know when this will all come to a head. But no matter what…He. Can't. Win."

"...Okay. I'm with you, but…you're weaker than last time, and he still survived you at your best. What if you still can't take him down for good?"

"..." Toshinori merely sat in silence, his gaze fixated on empty space, for he had no answer.

…~AIV~...

(Outside of the Police Station)

As their feet hit the sidewalk, Izuku turned to Kyouka with a brow raised, "By the way, what excuse did you give everyone else?"

Kyouka's brows rose and her lips puckered, turning to her boyfriend, "...What?"

"Our excuse? For why we left."

"..." Kyouka slowly pulled out her phone, clicking her tongue as she stared at her notifications.

Iida: [9 Missed Calls]

Momo: [17 Missed Calls]

Ochako: [43 Missed Calls]

And that wasn't even counting the countless texts that had blown up on her phone.

"...We might have an APB out for us."

Izuku sighed, pulling out his phone and seeing an almost equal share of texts and missed calls on his screen. "Can you be on Friend Duty? I have a different call to make."

"I'll think of something," Kyouka sighed, already calling Momo.

As Kyouka walked away, Izuku opened up his contacts and pressed on his mom's number, waiting as the other end rang.

"Hey, Izuku. What do you need?"

"...Don't freak out."

"Which hospital?!" Izuku could already hear Inko drop whatever she was doing, which he assumed was dishes with the crashing noise, and rush around their apartment.

"I'm not hurt! I'm not at a hospital, I'm on my way home as we speak! There was just a villain at the mall today, and there was just a bit of commotion. I'm okay. Nothing happened, I'm not hurt at all. I just wanted to let you know."

"Oh, thank goodness. Izuku, your poor old mom's heart can't take this kind of stuff. Is Kyouka alright?"

"Just fine, she wasn't even there when it happened."

"Hi, Inko!" Kyouka called out, overhearing the phone call. "Sorry for eavesdropping, I literally can't help it!"

"We both know that's not true," Izuku deadpanned at her.

"Hmhmhm, okay, I'm so glad you're alright. Nobody else was hurt?"

"Oh, nope."

"...A villain attack where nobody was hurt?"

Izuku's eyes widened, immediately not sure how to explain this without giving away why Tomura wanted to talk to him and how they were directly involved with each other. "A-Ah, well, it was more like I recognized him as one of the villains from the USJ, and he ran away. He got away though. I wanted to chase after him, but the police were there and we all know what happened the last time I tried to fight without a license. I don't think I have anyone to bail me out this time."

"Hmhmhm, fair. Maybe your father could pull some strings, hahaha."

"H-Hehe…yeah…Anyway, I'll be home soon. The police wanted to question me, but I'm done. I'll be on the next train home."

"Phew, okay. I love you."

"Love you, too."

Izuku ended the call, happy that he had made it. "Note to self: Stop starting sentences with 'don't freak out'."

…~AIV~...

(Many Hours Later: Izuku's Bedroom)

Izuku had forgotten how long he had been staring up at the ceiling. He wasn't sure he was ever keeping track. His mind kept wandering back to the mall, everything that Shigaraki had said. That was far from what Izuku had expected his next meeting with the villain to be like.

He looked over at his alarm clock, groaning at the 12:24 staring back at him. He sighed, rolling over, pulling his phone off the charger, and finding Kyouka's contact.

He waited until he heard the other end click before asking, "You awake?"

"Answered the phone, didn't I?"

Izuku smiled, "Right, sorry."

"No, don't be. I was thinking about calling you anyway. I wanted to apologize, I never should have left you alone."

"I convinced you, remember. I'm just sorry that I never got to see your surprise."

"Hmhmhm, in due time. So, why did you call?"

Izuku turned on his bedside lamp, taking his fourteenth journal that Kyouka had gifted him on his birthday and opening it up to the first page. "I think it's time we started working on the new journal. But, this time it's a special entry."

"What do you mean?"

"A villain entry," Izuku began sketching, first writing a title up at the top. "On Shigaraki."

"Really? I guess entries on villains would be really helpful, but we don't know much more about his quirk than it decays stuff. It could be more powerful than we think."

"I know, but this isn't about his quirk. Not yet, anyway. I was serious when I said I didn't think he was lying. He read right into my fight with Kacchan. Whatever he's been through, it allowed him to see right through me. It made him seemingly take a liking to me, and…I don't know if that makes me hopeful, or terrified."

"Let's hope for the former. Actually, let's hope we never see him again, and Tsukauchi catches him before anything ever happens."

"..."

Kyouka sighed, "I know. It's never gonna happen. Let's start."

"Right," Izuku nodded, writing at the top of the page.

[Special Villain Category Entry #1: Tomura Shigaraki]

As Izuku stared down at the name, his stomach turned queasy. He had no idea what he had "helped" Tomura with, but…

He hoped he didn't just spark the flame of an impending wildfire.

…~AIV~...