Chapter 2: Unexpected Offers

The two vigilantes did indeed reach the location of the fire, and though the building was coming apart at the seams they were able to get everyone who was still trapped inside (and unconscious) out in time, though it did require Bob barrel-assing through a wall. Unfortunately, upon exiting they wound up landing inside a jewellery store- the fact they were wearing balaclavas didn't help matters- and having a narrow escape with a cop which Lucius was forced to freeze.

"That was way too close." the ice vigilante said as the pair made it back to his car. "We are not doing that again." As they drove off they didn't notice the mysterious woman watching them from her vehicle as she spoke into a phone.

"Verify you want to switch targets? Over" the person on the other end questioned.

"Trust me. This is the one he's been looking for" the woman replied with a smile.

XXX

Upon returning home, Bob made his way through the house as quietly as he could, but as he made his way through the lounge he froze when a lamp turned on. The man turned around fast as he saw a chair in front of him which swivelled to show Helen sitting in it, a discontented look on her face.

"I thought you'd be back by 11," she said drumming her fingers on her arm.

"I said I'd be back later." Bob replied matter-of-factly

"I assumed you'd be back later. If you came back at all, you'd be 'back later.'" She said in air quotes.

"Well... I'm back, okay?" Bob said as he began to leave only to be stopped by his wife's outstretched arm on his shoulder. As she approached him he flinched when she picked something small and grey off his jacket.

"Is this... rubble?" She questioned him.

"It was just a little workout. Just to stay loose."

"You know how I feel about that, Bob! Darn you! We can't blow cover again" Helen scolded him.

"The building was coming down anyway." Bob muttered. A detail he probably shouldn't have mentioned.

"What!? You knocked down the building!?" Helen said aghast.

"It was on fire. Structurally unsound. It was coming down anyway" Bob defended though Helen was far from satisfied by excuse as she rubbed her temples.

"Tell me you haven't been listening to the police scanner again.."

"Look, I performed a public service. You act like that's a bad thing!"

"It is a bad thing, Bob! Uprooting our family again, so you can relive the glory days is a very bad thing!" Helen admonished as their argument escalated.

"Reliving the glory days is better than acting like they didn't happen"

"Yes! They happened! But this, our family, is what's happening now, Bob. And you are missing this! I can't BELIEVE you don't want to go to your own son's graduation"

"It's not a graduation. He's moving from the fourth grade to the fifth grade." Bob debated.

"It's a ceremony-!"

"It's psychotic. They keep creating new ways to celebrate mediocrity but if someone is genuinely exceptional, then-"

"This is not about you, Bob! This is about Dash!" Helen reprehended which seemed to touch a nerve with Bob as he argued back.

"You want to do something for Dash!? Then let him actually compete! Let him go out for sports!"

"I will not be made the enemy here! You know why we can't do that!" the argument reached its boiling point as Bob shouted.

"BECAUSE HE'D BE GREAT!"

"THIS IS NOT! ABOUT! YOU!"Helen shouted back, her head stretching up to his height with every word. But their argument was silenced a small gust of wind as the couple noticed some papers on the table rustling.

"Right, Dash. I know you're listening. Come on out" Bob said gently as Helen called out to Violet whom they knew was also hiding.

"Vi, you, too, young lady"

"Come on. Come on out." Bob beckoned their children who crept out from behind the furniture, Violet with her head invisible. "It's okay, kids. We're just having a discussion"

"Pretty loud discussion." Violet noted.

"Yeah. But that's okay. Because what's important is that Mommy and I are always a team. We're always united against, uh, the forces of, uh..."

"Pigheadedness" Helen suggested smugly.

"I was gonna say evil or something"

"Yeah well let's leave that up Uncle Toshi, shall we?" Helen said before turning to the kids. "We're sorry we woke you. Everything's okay. Go back to bed. It's late."

"Good night, Mom. Night, Dad." Dash said as he and his sister returned to their rooms, his sister also bidding their parents good night.

"In fact, we should all be in bed." Helen remarked as they went to join their children finally retiring for the night.

XXX

Back in Japan however sleep was the last thing on anyone's mind as Izuku and his friends were currently together outside a small teahouse at Bogano park, having completed their tasks. They were also being accompanied by a small six-year-old girl with long white hair and a little horn on the right side of her forehead: This was Eri. The little girl was currently sitting on one of the swings in the play area with Izuku standing behind as he gently pushed her.

"Higher, Deku! Higher!" Izuku felt his heart melt as she laughed. Ever since the school festival, Eri had come more out of her shell as of late. She wasn't as shy around the rest of his classmates or afraid to go out more often (provided she had one of them with her).

"It really is great to see her so happy after all she's been through." Ochaco smiled.

"Yes indeed. There's truly nothing more precious than a child's laughter." Agreed Iida.

"You know, Eri hasn't really had any time around kids her age. Maybe we can talk to Mr Aizawa about setting up a playdate." Tsu pondered.

"Oh yeah, don't you have a little sister about as old as her?" Kirishima asked.

"Satsuki. Yes, she's six too." Tsu confirmed.

"Well as long as Mr Aizawa thinks she's ready, I'm all for it," Ochaco said as she glanced back at Eri who was now off the swing and grinning up at Izuku as he petted her head. "But I'm sure he'll have no doubts."

While the small group continued to enjoy their day out, however, a skinny man with sandy blond hair was walking down the street across from the park, his hands in his pockets as another man was following behind him. He looked from side to side before the two of them made their way into an alley which led to an old warehouse as they let themselves in to find a group of individuals waiting for them. Upon shutting the door the blond man sighed heavily, bringing a hand to his head.

"Man, that was too close back there! Nobody saw us!" he shouted, his tone changing halfway through his sentence while pulling out a grey and black mask which he began to pull over his head revealing himself to be none other than the bipolar villain, Twice. Meanwhile, the second man sauntered over to a folded pile of clothes consisting of a large yellow overcoat, black balaclava, ornate white mask and a feather-tipped top hat. This man was the villain Mr. Compress and as he and Twice finished donning their costumes they approached the other figures in the room.

"I trust that we didn't keep you waiting long?" Mr. Compress inquired to the one sitting at the front of the group. A man with scraggly pale bluish-grey hair and dry skin, with multiple hands covering his arms and head. The leader of the League of Villains: Tomura Shigaraki.

"No." he replied with a husky voice. "Did you find anything?" Mr. Compress smiled behind his mask as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a turquoise marble.

"I think you'll be pleased to know there's an interesting story to this one."

"We almost died capturing him. It was a piece of cake!" Twice contradicted himself as Mr. Compress flicked the marble onto the ground causing it to transform into a man in a flash of light. He had short black hair and was dressed in a suit and panted profoundly as he looked around the area frantically.

"Where am I?! What did you to me?!" he asked in a panic.

"Calm yourself. I just wanted to make sure you made it here unharmed." Mr. Compress replied.

"Don't worry, pal. Now that we're here you can tell our Boss what you know." Twice added before his voice turned fierce. "If you don't talk I'll kill you. No, we won't! We need him alive!"

"That's enough, Twice." Shigaraki raised his hand before addressing the man. "Let's start from the top, shall we? What's your name?"

"...Illusion." he reluctantly replied.

"That's your hero name?" A girl with blond hair in two buns asked; also known as Himiko Toga.

"I HATE HEROES!" Illusion suddenly shouted before his rage instantly dropped and he shrunk back. "Sorry."

"Oh no, no need for apologies. That's actually something we have in common you see." Shigaraki reassured. "We are the League of Villains."

"...Why have you brought me here?" Illusion asked.

"You see, my comrades have been watching you for some time now. You've visited several hero agencies around the country trying to hire Pros for something. But so far only one hero took up your offer: The Stone Hero- Mortar who happens to have gone missing. Why is that?"

"Well...uh..." Illusion began to sweat.

"We have a pretty strong feeling it isn't jobs you're offering heroes." suspected Dabi, a black-haired villain with multiple burns on his face and arms. "We want to know who you work for."

"When it comes to villains we're the top dogs! And if any upcoming punk thinks they can take our rank they've got another thing coming. Just ask Overhaul!" Spinner, the gecko villain, stated.

"Who's Overhaul?" Illusion asked confused.

"Exactly."

"Let's not go cutting them down just yet, Spinner." Kurogiri, a villain composed mainly of purple and black mist in a suit, cautioned. "Right now, all we want is to meet your boss. So would you kindly tell us who they are?" Illusion thought carefully for a moment before he spoke.

"My leader has no interest in your turf or rank. He just needed heroes for the project he's been developing."

"But why?" Shigaraki asked.

"He needed guinea pigs." the villains noticeably reacted to that detail.

"Ooh, now I'm curious." Toga giggled.

"Then you have no reason to deny our request," Shigaraki added. "Take us to your leader; we might be able to offer some assistance on this project. Especially if it involves killing heroes."

"Only fake ones!" Spinner added. Illusion seemed to be a lot calmer now after everything he'd heard as he held his chin in consideration. Finally, he gave his answer.

"I'll call for a jet. But only two of you can come with me, you being one of them." He pointed to Shigaraki.

"Then Kurogiri shall accompany me." the villainous leader agreed to the terms, an excited grin peaking behind his mask. "I can hardly wait."

XXX

And only more trouble was brewing in America as Bob's trouble only seemed to be growing. After going into work the next morning the retired hero was called into his boss, Mr Huph's office to discuss his past transactions. Now when it normally came to these talks Bob would just grin and bear it since the discussion was often always the same: he'd help clients gain insurance with loopholes instead of charging them more or rejecting them entirely which would grind Huph's gears considerably because they weren't 'their people'.

It disgusted Bob to no end that his employer was keener on helping the upper crusts than assist the downtrodden and then criticise him for not doing the same. But the final straw came during the meeting when Bob spotted a man getting mugged from the window and yet despite also witnessing the crime, Huph refused to let Bob go to stop the mugger under threat of firing him. He even had the gall to say it was a good thing the mugger got away, which is what finally caused Bob to snap as he seized his boss by the throat and sent him flying through four walls.

It went without saying that that little act of rebellion spelt the end of his career as Rick had to be called in to clean up the mess. The man himself was now wrapping up the situation at the hospital as he left the ward to find Bob waiting outside. He threw the super a disappointed scowl before walking away with Bob following after.

"How is he?" he asked worriedly.

"He'll live." Rick replied dryly as they continued their conversation down the hallway towards an elevator. As they walked they passed by a noticeboard with several articles pinned on it. Some of the headlines included 'Shie Hassaikai- INOCULATED!'; 'Into Thin Air- Missing people still not found'; 'Deavor Luck Next Time- Super rights activist's petition rejected'; and 'WHO IS SCREENSLAVER?- Masked tech thief strikes again.'

"I'm fired, aren't I?"

"Oh, you think?"

"What can I say, Rick?"

"Nothing you haven't said before."

"Someone was in trouble."

"Someone's always in trouble."

"I had to do something."

"Yeah. Every time you say those words, it means a month and a half of trouble for me, Bob. It means hundreds of thousands of taxpayer's dollars." Rick groaned pressing the elevator's button as he began to count the ways. "We gotta pay to keep the company quiet. We gotta pay damages, erase memories, relocate your family. Every time it gets harder. Money, money, money, money, money, w-we can't keep doing this, Bob!"

"Yeah, I'm at my wits end myself, Rick. Not just here mind you."

"Having trouble at home?" Rick queried.

"A little. I know Helen's gonna kill me when she finds out and the kids are struggling themselves with keeping their quirks under control. Them having met Toshi before doesn't exactly make it easier." Bob vented as Rick sighed understandingly.

"I'll tell you this much, Bob. I would give anything for this country to have their own Symbol of Peace back, but it's not my decision to make. We appreciate what you did in the old days, but those days are over. From now on, you're on your own." He said as he stepped into the elevator, though he stopped the door as it was closing.

"Uuuum... Listen, Bob. Maybe I could relocate you. You know, for old times' sake."

"No. I can't do that to my family. Everyone just got settled. I'll make it work. Thanks."

"Okay. Take care of yourself."

As the door slid shut, Bob made his way back to his car, the heavy traffic giving him plenty time to stew in his regrets, trying and failing to think of ways to break the bad news to his family. After returning home he headed straight to his study, his passing excuse to his wife being 'Rough day.' Locking the door behind himself, he first opened his lockbox and counted the money inside it. Nowhere near enough. He growled as he threw the box onto the floor in frustration, scattering dollars everywhere. The frustrated man mentally kicked himself as he hurriedly picked the contents back up and tossing the re-filled box back into his desk drawer (too angry at himself to realise he'd forgotten to lock it) before turning to his briefcase.

He began to dispose of the papers inside, starting with a giant work manual (which he tore in half as though it were one sheet) and then dumping the rest in the bin. But he suddenly stopped when he heard one of the items sounded noticeably heavier than the rest. Reaching into the bin he pulled out a thick brown envelope which contained a sleek silver tablet.

"What the hell...?" He murmured as he looked the device over before it suddenly began to beep causing him to stare at its screen as a small message came into view. "'Hold still'?" he read before the tablet flashed a facial recognition scan at him.

"Match: Mr. Incredible." Bob dropped the tablet in shock as it landed on the floor before a probe emerged from it and scanned a blue light around its surroundings. "Room Is Secure. Commence Message."

Bob stared at the mysterious device as the image of a woman with silver hair and tanned skin appeared on the screen "Hello, Mr. Incredible. Yes, we know who you are. Rest assured, your secret is safe with us. My name is Mirage." she spoke in a silky voice as Bob picked up the tablet, listening intently. "We have something in common. According to the government, neither of us exist. Please pay attention, as this message is classified and will not be repeated."

As the woman continued to speak Bob quickly rushed to his desk and fumbled for something to write with as he began to take notes on the message. "I represent a top-secret division of the government, designing and testing experimental technology, and we have need of your unique abilities. Something has happened at our testing facility. A highly experimental attack robot-"

"Honey" the message was suddenly interrupted by Helen.

"Huh? What?"

"Dinner's ready!"

"Okay!" Bob replied offhandedly as he continued to listen to the message.

"...has escaped control. Although it is contained within an isolated area, it threatens to cause incalculable damage to itself and to our facilities, jeopardizing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of equipment in research. Because of its highly sensitive nature, this mission would have not existed."

"Is someone in there?" Helen interjected again.

"It's the TV, trying to watch. Something about a villain in Japan." Bob fibbed on the spot.

"Well, stop watching! It's time for dinner!"

"One minute!" Bob yelled back as Mirage began to wrap up her offer.

"If you accept, your payment will be triple your current annual salary. Call the number on the card. Voice-matching will be used to ensure security. The supers aren't gone, Mr. Incredible. You're still here. You can still do great things. Or you can listen to police scanners. Your choice. You have 24 hours to respond. Think about it." With that, the screen went blank. Bob sat down, his mind racing. He began to look at the walls of his study, adorned with articles, thank you messages and awards. Any and every item that represented his past heroics, ending on his old super suit standing proudly in its glass case.

His gaze turned to his desk drawer as he realised the level of benefits Mirage's proposition could bring. The pay she was offering; it could finally be what he needed to achieve his dream as he looked at the photo of All Might and his kids. A small card suddenly popped out of the tablet displaying the aforementioned number before the device then spoke.

"This Message Will Self-Destruct."

"Uh-oh..." The tablet then detonated in a small explosion filling the room with smoke. Bob stumbled out, coughing the fumes out of his lungs before the smoke activated the house's fire alarms, causing sprinklers to spray water everywhere.

XXX

The next few hours were spent drying up the house since almost everything was soaked from the sprinklers. As Bob was focused on drying a row of books with a hairdryer, Helen approached him from behind. "You..are one distracted guy." She smirked, breaking Bob out of the stupor he was in.

"Hmm? Am I? I don't mean to be." He mumbled.

"I know you miss being a hero and your job is...frustrating. I just want you to know how much it means to me that you stay at it anyway. You know you'll always be our hero." Helen thanked him with a hug and a kiss.

"Thanks." Bob smiled before he frowned. "Um...Honey? About the job?"

"What?"

"Something's happened." He said nervously, trying to think of what to tell his wife.

"What?" She asked, her voice growing concerned. Not good.

"The, uh..." Bob thought frantically. What could he say? 'Hey, I lost my temper and got fired but I've been offered some freelance hero work and they're paying me triple. It's good, it's all good.' Not likely. If their talk last night was any indication he was on thin ice regarding hero work in any way shape or form.

"What's going on, Bob?"Helen asked again insistently as Bob gave his answer. "The company is sending me to, uh, a conference."

"A conference?" Helen repeated curiously.

"O-Out of town. And I'm just gonna be gone for a few days." It was a white lie to be sure, but considering the fruits the offer could bare, it seemed merited to Bob at the moment.

"They've never sent you to a conference before...This is good, isn't it?" she said hopefully.

"...Yes." Bob replied hesitantly.

"You see? They're finally recognizing your talents, you're moving up!" Helen said happily.

"Yes."

"Honey! Awww, this is wonderful!"

"Yes, it is." Later on, Bob returned to his study to call the number as he heard Mirage answer him from the other end.

"Hello?"

"This is Mr. lncredible. I'm in."

XXX

Meanwhile, at an undisclosed airport, a sleek black aircraft shaped somewhat like a manta ray was parked and ready for boarding as a car pulled up to it. The doors opened as Illusion stepped out accompanied by Shigaraki and Kurogiri, the two villains following him onto the craft.

"I assume your boss knows we're coming?" Shigaraki inquired from his seat, swirling a glass of liquor in his hand (his pinky raised).

"Naturally. He was surprised, to say the least, but he's curious to meet you so be grateful he's dedicating his time to you and your gang."

"Oh, we will be." Kurogiri insisted. "I'm curious about something myself though. Back when we met, you got rather angry when Toga mistook your name for a hero title." Illusion shifted uncomfortably at the mention.

"What of it?" He muttered.

"Why is it that you hate heroes?"

"That's none of your business!" Illusion snapped. "You have your reasons, I have mine let's leave it at that. Just sit quietly and wait until we land."

"As you wish," Kurogiri said cooly. 'Not one for conversation hm? No matter; him ignoring us makes my job easier.' he thought, receiving a knowing glance from Shigaraki.

Concurrently however on another aircraft, Mr. Incredible (since he was on the job) was getting the rundown on his mission from Mirage as the two were sitting opposite each other, a holographic display of his target in between them: a large spherical robot with five bi-symmetrical, segmented legs with four-fingered grappling claws and a small eye-shaped protrusion sticking from the top of its body (specified as a sensor cluster).

"The Omnidroid 8000 is a top-secret prototype battle robot. Its artificial intelligence enables it to solve any problem it's confronted with. And, unfortunately..."

"Let me guess. It got smart enough to wonder why it had to take orders." Mr. Incredible speculated to which Mirage confirmed.

"We lost control. And now it's loose in the jungle, threatening our facility. We've had to evacuate all personnel from the island for their own safety."

"How am I going in?" Mr. Incredible asked as the display changed to a side view of the island with the jet hovering above.

"The Omnidroid's defences necessitate an airdrop from 5000 feet," Mirage explained as the display showed a small shuttle leaving the jet down toward the island. "Its cloaking devices make it difficult to track. Although we're pretty sure it's on the southern half of the island." She added with the display changing to a birdseye view with a highlighted region.

"One more thing. Obviously, it represents a significant investment."

"You want me to shut it down without completely destroying it." Mr. Incredible discerned making Mirage chuckle.

"You are Mr. Incredible." With the report concluded, the hero prepared to disembark as he buckled into a reclining seat, positioned in front of the shuttle's opening. A soldier gave him a thumbs up before pressing a button which caused the seat to slide towards the opening, though due to his, shall we say, ample frame Mr. Incredible found himself unable to fit through the hole. Though a quick increase in the seat's power by the soldier was enough to force him in as the door closed.

"I've must warn you, it's a learning robot. Every moment you spend fighting it only increases its knowledge of how to beat you." Cautioned him as he prepared for launch.

"Shut it down. Do it quickly. Don't destroy it."

"And don't die."

"Great. Thanks." With that, the shuttle was ejected from the craft as it rocketed down towards the island before switching to a propeller allowing it to glide to the assigned region. Upon landing, Mr. Incredible found it just as hard to get out of the shuttle as it had been getting in. So he resorted to breaking it apart from the inside as he stepped out and stretched his overweight body before uttering his catchphrase.

"Showtime." He declared before setting off into the dense jungle in search of his target. He explored the area for what felt like hours before he spotted a large slash marks on a nearby tree and not too far from it an X shaped footprint. Not long after he saw the signs though, a pair of black metal claws pushed down the trees behind the hero revealing the Omnidroid which stood nearly four times his height, it's sensor cluster displaying a light blue visor which glowed with killing intent.

The droid lunged its tentacles at Mr. Incredible, trying to impale him with its closed claws. The man was able to dodge the first two strikes, though the third managed to scratch his arm, tearing through his costume. Mr. Incredible leapt over the Omnidroid, landing behind it as a second sensor cluster appeared from the bottom of its body, turning to face the hero as he delivered a strong punch sending the robot flying back and crashing to the ground.

"Oh yeah!" Mr. Incredible grinned, his old fire burning again. But his victory was short-lived as the Omnidroid, despite being upside down, simply switched its primary sensor and easily stood up, undamaged. The battle had just begun.

"Uh oh..."

The robot began to charge towards the American hero as he tried to jump over it again, but unfortunately for him, the Omnidroid was prepared as it calculated his leap arc with its sensor allowing it to swat him in midair and send him flying into a tree. The weight of his body caused the mighty timber to snap and toppled towards the robot which quickly retracted its tentacles and sensors, turning into a giant sphere. It then began to use its second form to try and crush Mr. Incredible under it as he began to run from the robot boulder, like some sort of cliched adventurer, before he jumped off a cliff and slid down the side of the mountain, the Omnidroid right behind him.

He rolled to the side onto an outcrop as the robot rolled passed him and landed on its legs before it was struck in the back by a boulder, thrown by Mr. Incredible, though it did nothing to phase it as the Omnidroid decided to return the favour. Hurling boulders at the hero it managed to strike him with the third one and followed up with a tentacle strike, though Mr. Incredible narrowly dodged the impaling claw which lodged itself in the cliff before pulling out as the robot chased him down. Leaping into the air, intent on crushing the man, Mr. Incredible dove forward and found himself in a lava field, the Omnidroid now standing behind him with his back to a lake of the molten rock.

Opening two of its claws the robot thrust its tentacles forward forcing Mr. Incredible to take the brunt of the attack as the Omnidroid tried to push him back into the lava. The American hero felt his feet scraping against the ground as the robot was slowly but surely inching him closer and closer to the edge.

'Come on, Bob! You may be rusty but you're not out of commission. Go beyond. PLUS ULTRA!' With a roar of strength and maximum effort, Mr. Incredible was able to jerk-pull the Omnidroid into the lava as it sank below the surface. Laughing at his supposed victory, the hero yelped when he felt a crack in his spine as he was turning to leave.

"AH!- ow, ow, ow. Oh, my back!" he groaned before suddenly the Omnidroid burst up through the ground, its body heated and dripping with lava. The resulting burrowing caused the ground around Mr. Incredible to start cracking as the robot began to spin its burning claws towards him like a pair of red hot turbines. The advancing attack forced him to leap onto one of the floating rocks but with his bad back, he couldn't get away as the robot seized him by his legs and slammed him against the ground before it began to pull him apart like a rack. But before it could tear him in half, the hero felt his spine crack back into place.

"Oh. Hahaha! HA!" With his strength renewed Mr. Incredible tore off one of the claws to escape. The Omnidroid began to search for him, unaware that he was directly beneath its lower sensor cluster. Before it could spot him he ripped off the cluster and climbed up inside the robot which began to stab its body from all sides to try and kill him. It missed every time while the hero simply laid back inside its torso and waited until it came to a standstill, having weakened itself before he punched off its upper sensor and whistled.

The robot quickly tried to grab him from the inside but instead pulled out its own core causing it to shut down completely and collapse as Mr. Incredible casually walked away triumphant. As he left though he didn't realise he was being watched by a macaw which was actually a spy camera linked to a monitor being watched by Mirage and another figure who spoke.

"Surprising. We must bring him back. Sound the all clear, and invite him to dinner."

XXX

Later that night Mr. Incredible arrived at the island's base via a pod, dressed in a suit but still wearing his mask, as he walked towards a door which led into a large dining room, the left wall a glowing magma flow. As the hero was about to make his way in, the lava wall began to slit open causing him to hide behind the door. He peeked out to see Mirage emerging from the opening, a shadowed figure just behind her. He couldn't make out who the person was but they spoke to Mirage for a few moments before retreating back into the magma flow. Thinking quickly, Mr. Incredible hurried back to the pod as Mirage opened the door, making it seem as though he'd just arrived.

"Am I overdressed?" he asked casually.

"Actually, you look rather dashing," she replied. But unbeknownst to the hero, as the two sat down to dinner, the mysterious figure was making his way down a corridor leading to a meeting room. The lights revealed the man to be in his mid to late twenties with flaming red hair; an apt comparison in colour as it was also styled in a widow's peak rather like a flame. He was dressed in a black and white costume, his gloves and boots being white and his torso black displaying a large white S and a black cape flapping behind him. Upon entering the room he smiled and spoke with a cheery voice.

"Welcome back, Illusion. I see you brought some friends back from Japan. So which one of you is Mr Shigaraki?" He queried as sitting before him were Illusion, Shigaraki and Kurogiri.

"That would be me," Shigaraki said standing up. "And what is your name?"

"I am, Syndrome!" the man replied flamboyantly. "And may I say I'm quite surprised to have gotten your attention. I mean I've had dealings with crime families and terrorist organisations, but supervillains? This is a first."

"Well, then all the more reason to get down to business," Shigaraki said lacing his fingers. "See there's a bit of a problem we need to address first."

"Very well. Illusion, would you please escort Mr Shigaraki's associate to the lounge? I'd like to continue this meeting privately." Syndrome ordered.

"Yes, Sir." Illusion nodded as he left with Kurogiri tentatively following, who looked back at Shigaraki.

"It's fine, Kurogiri, this won't take very long."

"Understood, Tomura Shigaraki." the warp villain obeyed as the two villains were left alone.

"Now then, what seems to be the problem?" Syndrome asked as he casually sat down, Shigaraki remained standing.

"Here's the deal, Syndrome. I don't know what it is you're up to on this island, but you need to understand that Japan belongs to the League of Villains and I don't like others trespassing on my turf."

"Oh, I assure you, Mr Shigaraki, I have no intention of taking over your territory. My target has always been the USA." Syndrome insisted as he brought up a display of the Omnidroid, though its design seemed a lot different than the one Mr. Incredible had fought. "As you can see here, my creation has gone through many phases of development as it's battled and executed heroes throughout the years. Almost all of them are American since the criminalisation made them easy to lure into my trap. The project is nearing fruition with Mr. Incredible here being the final test subject."

Shigaraki was quite surprised as he studied the various stages of development the Omnidroid had gone through, most particularly at the list of heroes it had gone up against. He counted at least thirty names before he turned his attention back to Syndrome, the villain now more intrigued by the man than unfriendly.

"But once you're done with America I imagine you'll want to set up shop in Japan too since your underling has been scouting the area for your guinea pigs. You are a businessman after all, and businesses expand. So here's what I'm proposing; Instead of getting into some pointless feud down the line over territory or resources, simply merge your organisation with mine.

"You want me to come and work for you?" Syndrome raised an eyebrow as Shigaraki removed his mask to give him a smile, somewhat disturbing the man with his dry face.

"I wouldn't phrase it that way," He replied. "We have similar goals after all: To destroy heroes and this whole ridiculous society. You've killed many after all." Syndrome chuckled.

"Technically my robots killed those heroes. Then again I did create them so I guess you're correct. But I'm not just killing heroes; my goals and motives are far more grandiose than that."

Shigaraki scoffed irritably as he scratched his neck, redonning his mask.

'Tch, just like the Hero Killer. Thinks he so high and mighty. Nothing a little intimidation won't fix.' "Just answer the question: Will you join the League of Villains or not? If you insist on opposing I can always just kill y-." ZAP! The villain suddenly found himself immobilised by a neon cyan beam that was coming from Syndrome's fingertip; the man himself smirked at him as he raised his other hand holding up three fingers.

"Tell you what. I like your style from what Illusion has told me about you and your team; and honestly, I've been thinking about the possibility of offering my services to supervillains for a while now." Syndrome said as he stood up.

"So, I'll give you three guesses to answer a question of my own; guess right and I'll team up with you. Guess wrong and you'll be my next test subject. I'll only work for someone who understands me so here's my question: What...is my quirk?" He smiled as he released Shigaraki who shuddered as he regained control of his body. Just what sort of game was this villain playing with him?

"Is this some kind of joke?! It's clearly those beams you just shot me with!"

"ERR! Wrong answer! Just another of my inventions." Syndrome removed one of his gloves and pointed his naked finger at Shigaraki with no effect. "Two guesses left." The villain snarled as he thought. The man was clearly testing him so that meant he was interested in joining him; he just needed to think carefully. Don't lose your temper.

"Your quirk allows you to produce and control machinery?"

"Nope! Wrong again! My robots think for themselves. As for the design: That's all sheer brainpower." Syndrome grinned tapping his head. "Last chance~." He taunted turning his back.

Shigaraki began scratching himself again growing more frustrated. What was he missing? This villain had weapons on par with many quirks and was a technological genius. And then there was his motive. He said his goal was more than killing heroes but what goal could be greater for a villain? And why rely on robots and gadgets to do it whilst he sat back in the shadows? Only someone who...

Shigaraki's eyes widened as he finally started to connect the dots and began to laugh amusingly. He'd figured it out.

"I get it. It all makes sense. Your inventions, the body count, your methods. It was a trick question. You want to prove them wrong; all of them! Prove that it's not impossible." Syndrome grinned ecstatically as he turned to face Shigaraki and spread out his arms, his cape billowing.

"Yes, that's right, Mr Shigaraki. I, Syndrome, am quirkless! Nobody believed in me, so I'll show them. I'll show all of them just how wrong they were! I'll create a world where anyone can be whoever they want to be. But if I'm gonna do that I first have to destroy the status quo."

"Yes. And together we can make it happen." Shigaraki agreed as he approached and extended his hand. "Welcome to the League of Villains, Syndrome."

"Let's call it a mutual partnership for now. I am a businessman after all and I look forward to working with you." The red-haired villain smiled reaching out to shake his new partner's hand only to pull it back at the last second.

"Whoa-Ho-Ho! You almost got me there! Nice try, but Illusion told me about your quirk. I'm not giving up these babies that easily." He chuckled.

"Damn. Those gloves are so annoying." Shigaraki grumbled but soon found himself laughing along with Syndrome. This looked like the beginning of a deadly alliance.

To be continued...

And so, with this chapter, the setup for the crossover is officially complete, as next time Shigaraki presents Syndrome with targets of his own: the thorn in his side that is UA.

So, with this lockdown I've found myself getting back into the flow of writing which, being the slow writer I usually am isn't easy. But with all this setup out of the way I feel I can finally get into the meat of the crossover as the Parrs and Class 1 A are soon to meet on the island.

Additionally though, I've noticed a few of my favourite writers have co-writers, so if there's anyone who would like to work on this story with me, be it suggestions, spellchecking or editing I'd be happy to discuss it.

With that said, thank you again for all the faves and follows and please review the chapter. Criticism is fine as long as it's constructive; NO FLAMES.