The next morning, Midoriya woke up to a few expected messages, as well as a few not so expected messages. The obvious ones were from a few of Kendo's classmates telling him off. Those didn't bother him at all, he knew they were coming and they were deserved. The messages that truly stood out to him were the messages he got from Amajiki and her father.

Amajiki managed to string together a masterpiece of insults and threats that truthfully impressed Midoriya. That alone would stick with Midoriya, but the undertones of bloodlust that radiated from the message sent chills down his spine.

Kendo's father on the other hand had remained quite tame with his message. He was obviously pissed at Midoriya for breaking his daughter's heart, but he was also happy and grateful that she wouldn't be brought down by any of Midoriya's previous and future actions. Midoriya truly believed the man would have threatened to cut off his balls then force feed them to him, but that threat never came.

After ignoring all the messages, Midoriya started to get ready for his day. He had two days until he had to return to Osaka, and he still had a few things that he needed to take care of first. There were a few more loose ends that he needed to take care of before he could go through with everything. The next thing he had to take care of hit closer to home than he wanted.

An hour later Midoriya found himself standing in front of the old man's bike shop. The plan had always been for him to take over this place one day, but now he wasn't sure if he even wanted to. When he finally opened the door he saw the old man sitting behind the counter. The sound of the bell drew his attention, having both of them lock eyes for a moment.

Ken glanced down at his watch before going back to his magazine that he was previously looking through. "You're late, kid. I'm guessing you took that break up with Little Red harder than you thought you would."

Midoriya ignored his comment about Kendo and proceeded to flip the open sign to close. This action didn't go unnoticed by Ken who put his magazine down and straightened up. He had been on the other side of this before so he knew nothing good was about to happen.

"I take it that something happened and you think I have the answers."

Midoriya walked wordlessly up to the counter, he pulled from his pocket his dads old lighter and set it in front of Ken. Ken had seen this lighter plenty of times before, so seeing it now more or less painted a picture for him as to what had happened and what was going to happen.

"Did you know?"

"You're going to have to be more specific than that kid."

"Did you know that Kai was the one that killed my parents?"

Ken kept his eyes locked on Midoriya's, from the corner of his eyes he could see a few embers pop then dissipate. Eventually he let out a deep sigh. "Yeah… I did know."

Midoriya gritted his teeth as he felt a burning sensation come from his free hand. A small flame that burned with a white hot rage danced in his palm.

"Why didn't you tell me!? You knew I had been looking for him for years! Did you enjoy watching me suffer and struggle to find a person who was literally under my nose!?"

"You know that's not true. I saw how much you were torn up after everything that happened. Dammit kid I'm the one that found you that day and took you away from that inferno!"

"Then why didn't you tell me!" Midoriya's flame started to grow as his emotions continued to rise.

"Because I was told to never tell you the truth, until you figured out the truth yourself."

"And what bastard told you to never tell me!"

Midoriya's flame began to grow unstable as it grew larger. The flame danced wildly as it came closer to Ken, but he never took his eyes off of Midoriya.

"The boss made me swear it to him."

Midoriya's flame disappeared as quickly as it appeared. His eyes widened as he stared at Ken in disbelief.

"What did you say?"

"The boss made me swear to keep this secret until you found out the truth for yourself."

"But… but why would he do that? Why would you keep that promise even after leaving?!"

"Kid, do you know why I left the Shie Hassaikai?"

Midoriya narrows his eyes on Ken. "What does that have to do with any of this?"

"Just answer the question."

"Because you wanted to run an actual business without any crime."

Ken shook his head. "I did it because of you kid."

Midoriya's eyes widened. "What?"

Ken let out a deep sigh as he sat down on his stool. "I was a part of the bosses inner circle, I would never leave for something as simple as starting an actual business. Hell, they'd kill me before letting me leave for something like that, but for you they made an exception. I explained everything that happened to the boss while you were under police custody. I suggested that we take you in under our protection even though Kai was still with us."

Midoriya clenched his fists as he stood in disbelief and anger. "Why the hell would you do that? Why wouldn't you just kick Kai out?"

"It's not that simple. Just like you're my son, Kai is the boss's son; besides you've known Kai long enough to know that even if he was quicker out he wouldn't stop to get what he wants."

"Then why bring me in? I'm certain Auntie Mitsuki and Uncle Masaru would have taken me in."

Ken nodded slowly. "They would have and they were going to, until the boss and I spoke with them."

Midoriya sent a glare at Ken. "So did you threaten them or something? Auntie Mitsuki wouldn't have backed down for anything. She would have fought to keep me safe."

A small smile crept onto Ken's face as he laughed softly. "That she did. She's quite a spirited one, she went as far to threaten the boss if anything happened to you."

Seeing Ken's smile filled Midoriya with rage again. A flame sparked from his hand as he glared at Ken. "What the hell is so funny about this? I just found out that the people I've spent the majority of my life with have known the person who killed my parents and here you are laughing. You should have just let them take me."

Ken's smile faded. "There's no way we would have let that happen."

"And why not? It's not like you guys really cared about me. I may have never found out who killed my parents, but I would have lived a somewhat normal life."

Ken shook his head as he crossed his arms. "Kid, don't fool yourself. Kai tried to kill you because you saw a glimpse of him when you were seven. You know damn well he would come back and kill not only you, but that entire family as well. Us taking you in was for the safety of everyone."

Midoriya bit his tongue, he knew Ken was right. When it came to tying up loose ends, Kai was one of the best and he didn't hold back for anyone. Even though he knew this, he didn't want to admit it. "He still could have killed me even after I joined."

"Kid, what's the first rule of the Shie Hassaikai?"

Again Midoriya's flame dissipated into the air. "Those that turn on the family will be dealt with swiftly."

Ken nodded. "Do you know why we kept eyes on you until you were able to handle yourself?"

Midoriya silently shook his head.

"It was so Kai couldn't do anything to you! He wasn't allowed to leave the compound for years! Dammit, the boss even brought him into the inner circle so he could keep a closer eye on him!"

"I… I didn't know that."

"Of course you didn't, you were too fixated on finding out who killed your parents. You didn't even realize that you were the only person to have the freedom to come and go as you please. If only the boss hadn't fallen into a coma."

Midoriya let out a deep sigh. "I'm certain Kai is the one who put Gramps in a coma."

Ken's eyes widened as he clenched his fists tightly. A burning rage flowed through him as he started at Midoriya. His eyes were locked into his and just as quickly as his rage appeared, it subsided. With a deep breath he walked around the counter to stand in front of Midoriya. "Kid, I need you to listen to me, don't do anything rash. You remember what the boss always said, right?"

Midoriya nodded as he looked down at his lighter. "Yeah, 'Always give yourself time to think, quick decisions don't produce lasting results.'"

Ken nodded as he put a hand on Midoriya's shoulder. "That right, I know you've thought about this day for a long time, but I want you to really think about what comes after all this."

Midoriya let out a deep sigh. "I already have, why do you think I broke up with Itsuka."

Ken raised an eye at Midoriya. "And how long did you think about that?"

Midoriya's head hung low as he stared at the ground. "… A couple hours."

Ken shook his head as he pulled Midoriya into his chest. "You made a quick decision, and someone was hurt because of it. I'm sure you had your reasons, but was that really the best solution?"

Midoriya silently nodded into Ken's chest. With another sigh he placed his hand on Midoriya's head. "Just make sure you think about everything a little longer. I'm not trying to tell you to let everything that bastard did go, but think about what you want for your life. Give it a week or so and some soul searching, the boss told me to do that when I said I wanted to take you in, so now it's your turn."

Again Midoriya could only silently nod as a few stray tears began to run down his cheeks. While the two of them were never big on showing signs of physical affection for the other, this was different. Each of them knew that this was something they both needed.

After a few minutes, Midoriya pulled away from Ken. As he wiped away the last of tears he laughed to himself. "Thank you for that and sorry I'm sorry that I came in here ready to kill you."

Ken shrugged as he went back to stool behind the counter. "Don't worry about it, it's not the first time someone came in here ready to kill me."

Midoriya laughed again as he remembered the first time someone tried to do that. "Yeah, you were pretty terrifying back then, it's a shame you've gone soft."

Ken scoffed at Midoriya. "You sure have a mouth on you for someone who was just crying."

"Fuck you old man."

Ken laughed as he picked up his magazine, picking up where he left off. "That's more like it. Now why don't you get out of here. I think you have some thinking to do."

Midoriya smiled softly as he turned around towards the door. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks for everything old man."

Ken smiled as he watched Midoriya head towards the door. He didn't know what the boy had planned, but he knew he was going to be thinking about everything. "Hey flip the sign to open on your way out!"

Midoriya silently raised his hand waving goodbye as he walked out the door, purposefully leaving the sign to the shop the way it was. Seeing this Ken let out a deep sigh as he stood up. "Fucking asshole."

The day had come for Midoriya to take Toga and Twice into the Shie Hassaikai. Even though he spent the past few days thinking about what he was going to do, he never got closer to his answer. He knew he'd hate every second of the week to come, but he told the old man he'd give it a week.

When he first arrived at the compound it took all of his willpower to not incinerate Kai on the spot. As much as he tried to hide his bloodlust he knew it wasn't working, both Kai and Kurono looked at him cautiously. Even with their caution they still gave Midoriya the briefcase that held the money for the League of Villains.

After retrieving Toga and Twice Midoriya had to spend the majority of the day listening to the two be interrogated by Kai and the rest of the Eight Bullets. Most of the questions asked revolved around what they can do and if they had any plans on betraying Kai. Somehow they managed to pass and were given free reign to roam the labyrinth. Both of them didn't seem to have any issues with that, except for Toga when she found out that Midoriya didn't stay there during the nights.

When all of the meetings had been done for the day, Midoriya made his way to Eri's room. He found her sitting at her table practicing her handwriting. Seeing her work diligently brought a smile to his face. He wanted to protect her smile at all cost. When she heard him enter the room she quickly ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his legs.

"You're back! I missed you!"

Midoriya ruffled her hair as she smiled up at him. "I missed you too, Eri. Did you make sure to study while I was gone?"

Eri nodded fervently before running back over to her desk. As she looked through her drawers trying to find her work from the previous week, Midoriya sat down on her bed. While he watched her search he smiled at her antics. He knew he wanted to protect her smile, but he also knew that he wanted her to live a normal life outside of these walls.

His imagination ran wild as he saw scenes of her going to school for the first time and making actual friends. He saw her sitting in her room drawing portraits of her friends. He saw her crying tears of joy as she graduated highschool. All these images played in his mind, but he was nowhere to be found in any of them. Even though he felt a pain in his chest, he smiled knowing that that future would be what was best for her.

"Is everything ok?"

Eri's words broke Midoriya from his daydreams. She stood in front of him holding a small stack of papers that was maybe fifteen pages thick. Midoriya took the pages from her and began to look through them. She stood there nervously as he flipped through them. She had made a lot of progress in a short amount of time. At this rate she realistically could go to an actual school and not be too far behind.

As Midoriya looked through the pages his mind started to drift off again. This time his mind filled with questions about the future. Where would he go after everything was done? Would he pack up everything and leave the country? Would Eri even want to come with him? How would he make ends meet when he didn't even graduate High School?

With a deep breath and quick shake of the head, Midoriya set the papers down on the bed. Eri gave him a worried look, but he gave her a smile that eased her worries.

"You did a great job, Eri."

Eri grinned from ear to ear. "Thank you!"

Midoriya patted her head, before falling back into her bed. "Hey Eri, I have a question for you."

Eri climbed onto the bed and laid next to him. "Ok."

"How would you feel about going to an actual school next year? You could make some friends besides me."

Eri looked at him confused as she tilted her head slightly. "But I already have other friends."

It was Midoriya's turn to look at her confused. "Who else are you friends with?"

Midoriya's questing seemed to confuse her even more. "There's Big Sister as well."

Midoriya laughed softly as he ran a hand through his hair. "That's true, you do have her."

Eri nodded. "I'd really like to see her again soon. I want to show her how much better I've gotten."

Midoriya looked at Eri and saw her eyes filled with excitement. He didn't need to tell her everything that happened, so he put on a smile for her. "It may be awhile, she's really busy with school right now. I don't know when she'll have any free time."

Eri's expression turned dejected as she looked at the ceiling. "Oh, ok."

Again Midoriya ruffled her hair, bringing back her smile. "You never answered my question about school."

Eri remained quiet for a while as she thought about the question. With each passing second Midoriya's anticipation grew. "Maybe, but I don't know if I'd be allowed to."

Midoriya nodded, finding her answer acceptable. Given everything she had been through it made sense that she'd be nervous about meeting other people. "I'm certain I can work something out. But if you're worried about meeting new people, trust me they're a lot nicer than the people here."

Instinctively Eri held onto her arms as if to try and cover her scars that no longer existed. "Really?"

"Yeah."

Seeing Eri trying to cover her nonexistent scars filled Midoriya with a mixture of anger and regret. He hated Kai for torturing and experimenting on the girl for years. He was furious at himself for turning a blind eye to it for so long and he regretted not doing anything about it earlier. While he may have never physically done any of the experiments, he was just as responsible for them and it made him sick to his stomach.

A small hand grabbed his arm, Eri looked at him nervously before turning away. Seeing her act so nervously made Midoriya smile. "Is everything ok Eri?"

Eri looked away briefly before locking eyes with Midoriya. "Are you sure you're ok? You've been spacing out a lot today."

Midoriya sighed softly as he laid back and stared at the ceiling. "I just have a lot on my mind that I need to sort out." Laughing softly he shook his head. "Being grown up isn't all it's cracked up to be. You have to make a lot of decisions that aren't fun, so enjoy being a kid for as long as you can."

Eri tilted her head in confusion at Midoriya. "But aren't you technically still a kid?"

Smiling Midoriya gently rubbed Eri's head. "I am, but due to certain circumstances I had to grow up a lot faster than other kids my age."

Eri still looked at him with confusion and curiosity. "Like what?"

Midoriya started silently at the ceiling as everything that had happened to him flashed before his eyes. What felt like hours to him were in truth mere seconds. With a deep breath he sat up on the edge of the bed. "I'll tell you one day, but for now you just need to focus on your studies ok."

Eri nodded as she jumped up and made her way back to her desk. While she may not have been excited to study, she was dedicated to it. She couldn't deny that she did get a twinge of happiness whenever she made progress.

Seeing Eri's diligence, Midoriya felt a smile spread across his face. She had put in so much hard work, that he felt like he barely had to teach her. Sure he would help her with new things, but he only had to explain them a few times. If she didn't under something after that he'd help her till she got it down, but those instances were few and far between.

Midoriya spent the rest of his day with Eri in her room. They jumped between studying, playing games, and even taking a nap. Eventually it was time for him to leave so she could sleep. As he walked through halls, he found himself taking a different path than usual. After a few minutes he was standing in front of a door that led to the Boss's room.

Once inside Midoriya pulled up a seat across from the bed that the Boss was in. He had been in a coma for months and each time Midoriya visited he always looked the same. His peaceful expression stirred something violent in Midoriya, but it quickly dissipated. With a deep breath, Midoriya placed his head in his hands.

"So, I spoke with the old man the other day. He didn't break the promise he made to you, I figured it out and confronted him."

Midoriya laughed softly as he dragged his hands across his face.

"I uh, I was about to kill him. I thought he had been trying to cover for Kai for all these years. I was just filled with so much rage that I could barely think straight. I seriously wanted to kill the man who gave up almost everything to take care of me. You'd think I would have known better than for him to cover for Kai. He never once tried to hide his disgust towards Kai."

Midoriya let out a deep sigh as he relaxed into his chair. He wasn't quite sure what he was doing, he knew the boss wouldn't hear him or respond, but it felt good just talking to him.

"Would you be mad if I took Eri away and started a new life away from everything? Would you forgive me if I burnt the Shie Hassaikai to the ground? Would you understand if I did something completely crazy? I really do think I'm gonna do something crazy and I don't think you're gonna be happy when you wake up."

Running a hand through his hair, Midoriya let out a deep sigh.

"You don't have to worry Gramps, I already promised the old man that I'd take a week to think about everything. You always did tell us to think through everything before coming to a decision. It's only been a couple of days since I told him that, but I keep coming back to the same idea."

Reaching into his pocket, Midoriya pulled out the quirk-erasing bullet he kept from the USJ attack.

"This is what Kai has been working on, he used Eri's blood to make a bullet that destroys quirks. This is just a test round that should last maybe half an hour. I want to give him a taste of his own medicine, but I'll have to find the right time."

Midoriya put the bullet away and hung his head. The silence in the room was becoming deafening to him.

"Gramps, please don't hold a grudge if I do decide to kill Kai. The old man said that the relationship you have with Kai is more or less the same relationship I have with the old man."

Midoriya rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at the Boss.

"I'm truly grateful for everything you did for me and for keeping Auntie Mitsuki and Uncle Masaru safe from Kai. You gave me a home, a job, and you taught me a lot about life. You showed me how to take action and how to think rationally. You helped me become the man I am today and I will always be grateful for that.

Midoriya smiled as he stood up and made his way to the door. He was feeling a little better after putting all his thoughts into words.

"I should get going now, I still have a lot to think about. Thanks for letting me just vent about everything tonight. I'll see you later, gramps."

The rest of the night Midoriya spent thinking about what he was going to do and different ways he could make his plans work. While he had come up with a few decent ideas, none of them felt right. More often than not his plans made him feel as if he was running in circles. Eventually he couldn't think about any potential plans anymore and decided he should get some rest. As he was making his way to his room, a figure caught his attention from outside his window. As he looked out the window the gears in his head began to turn again and a solemn smile adorned his face. He quickly grabbed a jacket and his face mask and made his way outside.

Navigating intricate alleyways would be difficult for most people in the daytime and near impossible during the night, but for Midoriya it was like the back of his hand. He could avoid any unwanted attention while halving his time without missing a step, and after a few minutes of navigating he found who he was looking for.

His footsteps echoed through the alley as he stared down his unaware target, Bubble Girl. He remained a safe distance to keep his body hidden by the shadows of the night. With a deep breath he snapped his fingers and ignited his flame mask.

The sudden snap caught the attention of Bubble Girl, causing her to swiftly turn around and ready for combat. Her eyes widened momentarily as she stared at a floating mask of flames. While she couldn't make out any of the finer details, she knew exactly who this was.

"Phoenix…"

Midoriya nodded slowly before starting to back his way further in the alley. He hoped she'd take the bait and follow him deeper, away from the public's eye.

Bubble Girl watched as Phoenix backed away. She knew she shouldn't chase after him, but something felt off to her. 'Phoenix was always one to stay hidden. Why would he approach me and give away his position so easily?'

Deciding to take a chance she chased after Phoenix, as she placed a hand to her ear. "Sir, I found Phoenix, I'm in pursuit now!"

After a couple minutes a running Midoriya came to a stop, he had gone far enough. He knew that none of the crowds would be able to see or hear him this far away. Now all he had to do was wait for Bubble Girl to catch up. He could hear her footsteps in the distance, now he just needed for her to at least hear him out.

It didn't take long for her to reach Midoriya and when she found him she was shocked to say the least. Midoriya was standing motionless with his hands raised in the air as if he was surrendering. The gesture surprised her, but she stayed ready for battle.

"What exactly are you doing here Phoenix? Do you really expect me to believe that you're turning yourself in?"

Midoriya shook his head. "No, I just want to talk."

Bubble Girl gritted her teeth as she took in her surroundings. They were at a four way intersection, if Phoenix wanted to escape he could have taken any of these routes. "And why would you want to talk?"

"You've been watching the Shie Hassaikai for months now. I take it that you know something about what they're doing?"

Bubble Girl wavered monetarily before regaining her composure. "How do you know about that?"

"The same way I found you tonight. I saw you watching the compound from the shadows."

"I see, so you came to tell me to stop monitoring them or else you're gonna have to kill me. Well I hate to break it to you, but that's not gonna happen!"

Midoriya let out a deep sigh. "No, I wanted to let you know that two weeks from now, the Shie Hassaikai will burn."

The flames on Midoriya's mask burned brighter momentarily before returning to normal. Bubble Girl watched Midoriya in confusion, he hadn't moved at all since she had caught up to him.

"And why should I believe that? For all I know you could be setting up an ambush to kill us all."

Midoriya's eyes narrowed on Bubble Girl. "If I wanted you dead, you would have died the first time I saw you spying on us. Or I would have killed you the night you found the charred remains of one of my victims."

A chill ran down Bubble Girls spine as she thought about all those times. She knew he was right, she didn't even know he had seen her all those times, but he knew where she had been.

"Still, I don't understand why you're doing this. I always heard that those in the Shie Hassaikai would kill themselves before they turned on one of their own."

Midoriya lowered his head and nodded. "That's how it should be, but I can't forgive someone for what they did. Once I've done what I need to, I'll be turning myself in."

Bubble Girl stared at Midoriya in disbelief. "Why… why would you do something like that after all this time?"

"Because I'm tired of it all."

Midoriya lifted his shirt and jacket exposing his tattoo that branded him as one of the Eight Bullets. He pulled some flames from his mask and pressed them over his tattoo entirely. He knew this alone wouldn't be enough to overcome his resistance to flames, so he cranked the heat up to his maximum output. Even though searing pain coursed through his entire body he refused to show any sign of pain. Once he knew the skin had been adequately burned he extinguished his flames. His chest now adorned a nasty burn instead of a tattoo that he always hated.

"I've done terrible things and I'm ready to atone. So now even if you all don't show up, you'll know exactly who I am when I show up at your door."

With his grand display completed he snapped and erected a wall of fire separating him and Bubble Girl. With that, he disappeared in the alleys and began to make his way back to his apartment.

Once he returned he collapsed to the ground and leaned against the door. His chest ached from his spur of the moment idea. While he didn't enjoy the pain, he didn't really regret his decision. Once the pain became bearable again, he made his way into his room and sat on the edge of his bed. As much as he wanted to attempt getting any sleep, he knew he still had one more call to make.

With a deep breath he entered the number and waited as he hoped they'd actually answer. The phone rang a few times before an annoyed woman's voice came from the other line.

"Hello?"

A small wave of relief washed over Midoriya as he cleared his throat. "Uh yes, is this Ms. Midnight?"

There was a pause before she answered him. "Yes… who is this and how did you get my personal number?"

"It's Izuku Midoriya, you gave me this number a while back."

"Ah, I see, well you certainly have quite the pair of balls calling me after what you did to Kendo."

"I know, and I'm lucky that you didn't hang up on me immediately, but I was hoping that I might be able to cash in that favor you told me about."

Midnight let out a deep sigh. "Go ahead, I'm sure it must be something serious if you decided to call me after everything that's happened."