Chapter 44: Midoriya Izuku XXXIX

A/N: And here goes the start of the next arc! We'll be focusing on a few other characters this time around; can't have Mei taking up the spotlight all the time now, can we?

[Arc Five: Crossroads]

After the whole incident with Wolfram and the Quirk Amplification Device, the rest of Izuku's week spent on I-Island was fairly uneventful in comparison. Though, that isn't to say that said week was boring, per say.

After all, with Hatsume by his side dragging him to and fro from one thing to the next, coercing him into assistant roles for her tinkering, and striking up technobabble conversations that he could understand only about half the time, there never really was a dull moment for him.

Of course, while he doesn't exactly begrudge all of the chaotic — and dare he say — fun that he had, that doesn't mean that he exactly wished for such a thing 24/7. After his near heart attack coinciding with Hatsume taking flight control over their jet as they were heading back to Japan, he had been ready for a long needed reprieve.

He had been anticipating some time to himself in order to mentally prepare himself before he was to dive back into his work. And he wouldn't even have needed all too much time; even a single day would have been sufficient.

Instead, Izuku found himself being catapulted right into the thick of things. Once he found himself alone and in an isolated position, he called up Kurogiri to Warp Gate him to the bar. However, things ended up not going as he had expected.

Instead of the bar he appeared somewhere else — a place that always had him on edge no matter how many times he would visit. And thus lay his current position, standing idly before Sensei who was currently seated upon his throne.

One thing that Izuku notes is that Sensei isn't alone. And it isn't the Doctor that's attending Sensei's side this time. Rather, there stands an inhumanely tall hooded figure; one that Izuku's only ever seen once before, back during his second meeting with Sensei. As for the reasoning as to why 'Machia' is here now of all times, he can only guess. But Izuku can only hope that it doesn't spell anything bad.

"Izuku! Nice to see you back safe and sound," Sensei calls out, causing Izuku's attention to drift away from Machia and towards the man.

Sensei lets out a chuckle. "I see that you've noticed my ever loyal subordinate, Gigantomachia. Pay him no mind, his presence is of no consequence to our conversation. Both he and you just so happened to become available to me at the same time, is all."

Somehow, Izuku has a hard time believing such coincidence, even if Sensei's words do strike as true to his quirk.

"Right," Izuku mutters.

…

Still, he can't quite help himself. "He's the one with the telekinesis quirk right?" he asks aloud. "Or is it some sort of bodily hijack control? I never was quite sure that day all those years ago."

Sensei lets out a chuckle. "Remember that, do you?" He shakes his head. "What am I saying? Of course you do. You are you, after all. I shouldn't expect any less."

Izuku rests one of his hands on his head, finger tapping away at his scalp. "For your information, it was a telekinesis quirk. As it stands, fortune has not smiled upon me the chance of meeting an individual with such a quirk. Quite sad, truly. Oh, the things I could do with a quirk that would allow me to puppet those whom I desire."

Strangely enough, Sensei's little tangent is the closest Izuku's actually gotten to an explanation of the man's quirk. Throughout the years Sensei's always been a bit dodgy whenever the topic came up. What makes Sensei's avoidance of the topic worse is that Izuku knows the man isn't being purposefully misleading because he doesn't want knowledge of his quirk to be learned by Izuku. Rather, it's because Sensei wants Izuku to figure it out for himself.

The prospect irritated Izuku at first, but he learned to understand Sensei's motives — if Izuku couldn't figure such a vital piece of information out from an individual who wasn't exactly hiding said information, how would he fare against a target actually trying to withhold vital information?

So, of course, Izuku dug deep and filled his mind with theories and speculations. And by now, after all these years, Izuku thinks that he has a good handle of what exactly makes All For One as feared as he is.

Gathered from the seemingly random array of abilities the man possesses, from rumors that had built up over the years of people outright losing their quirks to mysterious means, and from the mere fact that the Nomu are an active and successful project, Izuku's extrapolated enough to deduce the fact that Sensei has a quirk deeply tied to the ability to manipulate, store, and steal quirks.

It's even in the name — 'All For One.' As in, all quirks for a single individual. It's a name that's ridiculous and pretentious enough that he can easily see Sensei creating it. Plus, such a quirk would explain what makes Sensei such a worrisome threat able to stand up to All Might.

Still, even if Izuku's basically convinced of his theory, it's still that — a theory. Sensei's still quite the secretive creature, even with individuals like himself or Tomura, whom he's spent years with. By now, Izuku's come to realize that he'll only ever find out the truth if one of two things happen: Sensei tells him himself — unlikely — or that Izuku finds himself in a position to see Sensei in action. And… he isn't eager to find himself in a scenario that would warrant as such.

"Quite the awkward silence there, Izuku," Sensei's voice echoes throughout the room, breaking Izuku from his thoughts. "What's on your mind, hmm?"

"Ah," Izuku clears his throat. "I was just… wondering about Gigantomachia, is all," Izuku lies. "I mean, I don't think I quite recall him being mentioned… well, anywhere in recent years. I mean, there are rumors of you and teleporting black mists — Kurogiri, obviously. But a hulking giant of a man? I feel as if… he'd have made more of an impact."

"Oho, but he has, dear Izuku," Sensei says with a smirk. "You're thinking is simply focused in the wrong place. I'll give you a hint: exactly how long have I been around?"

Izuku's eyes widen at the implications. His mind searches through his mental catalog, and it isn't long before he finds the clues that lead to the answer. "You mean to say… he's just as old as you?"

"Very nearly," Sensei answers. "He's been around since the near beginning; you'll never find a more loyal servant."

Izuku narrows his eyes. "But why now? I haven't seen hide nor hair of him since all those years ago. Why remind me of him now?"

"As I said, it's a mere—"

"Even if it is so," Izuku interrupts, "I know that you can make plans on the fly. You have to be able to, and be quite skilled at doing so as well, for you to have lasted for as long as you have with as much success that you've had. This can't be any different. So I'm asking again; what is the purpose of him being here?"

Sensei smirks, leaning back into his throne. "And once again you remind me of how much I see my young self in you. You'd have become a drying, bloody paste on the walls years ago if that wasn't the case, you know?"

Izuku ignores the casual reference of brutality. He instead pushes forward. "Well."

"Hmph." Sensei crosses one leg over the other. "It's simple. I merely wish to remind you that he exists, is all."

Izuku blinks. "That's it? Surely there's a greater reason?"

Sensei nods." There is. Of course, you'll only realize it when the situation demands it." Sensei moves like a blur, his hands suddenly coming together into a loud clap that causes Izuku to jump. "Now, on to more recent matters. How did your little trip to I-Island go?"

Izuku recognizes the deflection meant to signify the end of the previous topic. Unfortunately, even though his curiosity isn't satisfied in the slightest, he plays along. After all, the only reason that he was able to lead the conversation for so long was because Sensei was letting him. He won't get anywhere trying to push the issue.

"It went fine, all things considered," Izuku answers. "I had some difficulty completing the task at hand… no thanks to you, of course?"

"Oh? Whatever do you mean?"

"You hired Wolfram and his mercenaries in an attempt to sabotage me; no sense trying to say otherwise. Wolfram outright said as so. And even if he didn't, I caught wind of him using some sort of strength-amplifying quirk nonetheless. You know, despite the fact that his quirk is a sort of ferrokinesis?"

"But of course," Sensei says, nonchalantly. "It was a test, after all."

Izuku nods. "I gathered as such… So. Did I pass?"

"Oh. That depends," Sensei drawls.

"Depends on…"

"What came of the famous — now infamous — David Shield by the end of the night?"

"Mentally distressed, nearly catatonic once he realized what he'd done."

Sensei smirks. "Splendid. What of Wolfram?"

"Soundly humiliated by himself and then subsequently beaten singlehandedly by the hand of one Kendou Itsuka."

"Ah yes, the lovely Miss Kendou." Sensei's smirk grows even further, and Izuku can't help but imagine some sort of hidden meaning behind it. "Of course," Sensei continues. "And what of the night's prize?"

"The Quirk Amplification Device?"

Sensei nods.

"Destroyed, of course. Smashed to bits and pieces by my own two feet. Completely irreparable without the original schematics and the formulas that David himself kept inside his head."

"And the schematics? What of their fate?"

Now here comes the tricky part. Izuku doesn't think that he needs to worry about Sensei's mind control quirk — he had told him long ago that it was dependent on a weak willed mind, and that it worked best on the unsuspecting, after all. Plus, Izuku liked to imagine himself having a strong will, after all he's been through. Hence…

"Thoroughly erased. Not even Nezu would be able to recover them," he lies.

It's a lie only in the fact that he still has the schematics, the only copy being stored in his laptop. As accommodating and friendly Sensei may have become with him over the years, the fact still stands that the man is a frightening and powerful criminal overlord that rules by fear and always gets his way.

Even if Izuku thinks it unlikely, there's no telling if one day Sensei might just snap. And if such an event, however unlikely, were to occur, he'd rather have an ace up his sleeve than not have one.

Hence his keeping of his copy of the schematics for the Quirk Amplification Device a secret. With what he has currently, and with enough hard work (read: trial and error), he should be able to recreate the device. Nevermind his… less than adequate engineering skills or the fact that large portions of the notes were obviously left unwritten (he could always ask Hatsume for help, after all).

And besides… He can't even be sure if this is part of the test as well. For all he knows, Sensei is expecting him to do just this — keeping mission details close to his chest so he can gain an edge. It's something Izuku can see Sensei doing himself. And if Sensei says this is a test for him, combined with all his comments of how Izuku reminds himself of his old self…

He'll just have to see where his decision takes him.

"An acceptable outcome," Sensei eventually says, shaking Izuku out of his thoughts once more. "You achieved one of two outcomes of which I anticipated to occur. And thus… you pass."

"That's nice to hear," Izuku mutters to himself. He raises his head. "May I ask what said outcomes were?"

Sensei nods. "One: the device is destroyed, All Might's friend is discredited, and you outsmart and cause the defeat of a man highly experienced in his field. This is the outcome that you've achieved. Two: the device is salvaged, All Might's friend is discredited, you outsmart and cause the defeat of a man highly experienced in his field, and I receive the booster device so I can rub it in All Might's face the next time we are to meet. While the latter would have been preferable, what has come to fruition is acceptable as well."

Izuku blinks. "So…"

Sensei nods. "Good job, Izuku. You've impressed me once more. You're another step closer to becoming what you're meant to be."

Izuku raises a brow. "And that is…"

"That'd be telling."

Izuku lets out a sigh. Apparently, Sensei likes what he sees, and that's what matters. One of Kurugiri's portals opens up behind Izuku, and he sees the dismissal for what it is. He steps through, but before the warp gate fully closes Sensei's voice pierces through the air.

"Nice work, having All Might's friend getting smeared so thoroughly. The fallout will be splendid, I'm sure. I'm looking forward to the results, as should you…"

Izuku finds himself planted in the alleyway right outside of the bar, rather than the bar itself. For some reason. Izuku very nearly swears aloud, but decides against it. Rather, he takes the time to think, and eventually comes to a plausible reasoning as to why, two times on the same day, Kurogiri's come to inconvenience him.

Ominous warning from Sensei aside (he's really not in the mood to pick it apart) Izuku takes a moment to cool down before he cuts through the alley and walks right up to the doors of the League's lair.

The doors open with a creak, revealing the dark and dreary state within. Of course, it's nothing Izuku isn't already familiar with after all these years, and by now he's even inclined to call the atmosphere comfortable. Kurogiri's at his usual position behind the bar, and as per usual Izuku takes a casual walk to a seat before the man.

"I'm guessing that the message you're trying to send is that I shouldn't be too reliant on you, then?"

"You would be correct in that assumption, young master," Kurogiri responds, voice elegant as ever. "A simple reminder all things considered; you presented your capabilities in your absence. You do not necessarily need me to succeed in your e— … Aspirations."

Izuku gives a solemn nod. "I do suppose that I had been largely reliant on your warp gates on my past operations previous to my most current one," he admits. "Probably shouldn't always bank on that; never know when things can go wrong on your end, after all."

"Precisely the point."

Izuku gives off a little smirk. "Nice to see you too, Kurogiri. Things go all right in the past week that I've been gone?"

"As much as they can be considering the bar's residents, both those of the more permanent manner and those more touch-and-go."

"Right," Izuku drawls. "Speaking of which." He clears his throat and calls out: "You know, you'd think that after knowing a guy for years — and even living together for a short while — a certain someone would at least have the common courtesy to greet me. I mean, we're brothers in arms at this point, essentially brothers in other ways when you consider our circumstances. We even have the petty squabbles and sibling rivalry down to a poi—"

"Fuck off! I'm busy trying to find the next bon—grace whatever! It's been forever, there's got to be one— Goddamnit! Fucking stupid dogs!"

Izuku lets out a chuckle. "You know, there's a certain torch that—"

"Shut up!"

Izuku lets out a resigned, if amused sigh.

"Hrm."

Izuku blinks, turning towards the cause of the noise. He finds Kurogiri, eyes narrowed deep in thought. "Something wrong?"

For a long moment Kurogiri doesn't speak, content at wiping away at his glassware. His head tilts, eyes narrowing, and he eventually nods to himself before finally speaking. "You are different from how you were before your trip."

Izuku makes a face, crossed between a mix of intrigue and confusion. "Am I?"

"If you yourself do not recognize the change, then perhaps I should not say anything. I would rather not impede on the prospect of prominent self-discovery, especially in a case as delicate as yours."

Izuku takes his turn narrowing his own eyes. "If whatever it is you're implying is so vastly important, should you really be blatantly talking about it to my face?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Kurogiri voices. "On the other hand, I admit that I have a secondary, ulterior motive attached to this tirade."

"And that is?"

As if on cue, a pair of hands find themselves cupped over Izuku's eyes. He freezes up at that very moment, body tense and ready to spring to action. The only reason he's able to fend off his baser, ingrained instincts is due to his immediate mental connection of Kurogiri's words to the scenario currently playing out.

"Guess who?~"

However, it turns out that he can't hold back the sigh that erupts from his mouth in response to those two simple words, recognition lighting up his mind.

"Oh," Izuku exhales. "Toga. Of course."

It explains away the fact that he hadn't even heard her despite the fact that he can plainly hear Tomura mashing away at his controller, and Nakajima snoring in his bed on the floor above.

She's a practitioner of that blasted sneaking skill after all… Izuku blinks at that, realizing that he doesn't have much in any way of an excuse to stall a one-to-one with the girl.

"She bested me in a game earlier this week," Kurogiri voices — and Izuku swears that he can sense an undertone of amusement in his tone. "The terms of her victory involved some insider knowledge regarding your disposition towards her, and the subsequent arranging of your current predicament."

"I don't have my mask on," Izuku replies evenly.

"I am aware. And I do believe that this is the right course of action in this case. Young Toga… has a certain knack for getting what she desires. I have no doubt that she would have broken through your well-risen barriers; it would only be a matter of weeks if not days. Besides, she would have found out your identity regardless if you were ready to divulge it yourself."

"Aww! You're too kind Kurogiri!" Toga cheers. "You're making me blush!"

"Really now?" Izuku asks, referring to Kurogiri's last remark. "And how can you be so sure?"

"You shall see." And Kurogiri leaves it at that.

Izuku groans. "Fine. I'll play along."

The hands around Izuku's eyes retreat. Resigned to his fate, Izuku turns in his seat, only to be greeted with a pouting Toga, arms crossed and cheeks puffed out.

"You sound so disappointed!" she remarks. "It's like you don't like the fact that we can finally have some time to ourselves!"

"Have fun you two," Kurogiri calls out, turning from his position and moving to the backroom further behind the bar.

Izuku suppresses the urge of his eye to twitch upon the blatant act of betrayal — Kurogiri knows Izuku's thoughts on the whole matter with Toga, after all. He knew what he was doing in setting the current scene up. Nevermind the fact that he forced the matter of unmasking without his permission.

"Oh oh!" Toga exclaims, jumping in place with sheer adoration on her face. "That's right! You know, I really like art, you know that? The wonderful scarlets and crimsons clashing as the blood flows? It's really something!"

Izuku has no doubt that she's talking about her casual murdering of her victims. But for her to consider it an art… He could unfortunately see where she's coming from, considering how broken he home life had been. She'd have to find comfort in what defined her, and blood was certainly that.

"Weeelllll," Toga draws out, "Thing is I can really appreciate an artist at work! It's nice to find another master at work, even if our art styles are different!"

Izuku narrows his eyes. "And what exactly are you talking about?"

"These!" She reaches behind her, pulling what sounds like a notebook from her waistband. Izuku has a sinking feeling as to what she's referring to — and his suspicions are confirmed once the notebook comes into view.

"These notebooks are works of art!" Toga squeals. "All these notes about heroes and all these ways to brutally end them in the most painful way possible? I just, just—" She outright moans, and Izuku has a hard time resisting the urge to just bolt up, run up the stairs, and retreat to his room.

…

Wait.

"You even drew me!" Toga exclaims. She flips through the notebook and opens up to the entry dedicated to herself, pointing the pages towards Izuku. "I had no idea that you studied me so extensively! And your sketch of me! It looks just like me! I'm flattered!"

"Where'd you get that?" Izuku interrupts, purposely making sure not to entertain her rant with even a smidge of interest. He doesn't know how effective it'll actually be in the long run, (his prospective hopes are rather low) but it doesn't hurt to try.

Toga grins, all teeth — sharpened canines and all. "Why, your room upstairs, of course!"

That can only mean one thing, of course. Nothing in this building happens without Kurogiri knowing about it, after all.

"You let her wander around in my room."

It's not a question. Izuku's quirk echoes off the walls of the storeroom Kurogiri's sequestered himself off to.

–I saw no detriment to the allowance of such– Kurogiri readily responds, not missing a beat.

Izuky can feel the onset headache brewing ever so, creeping up on his steadily declining psyche.

He's tired, he's overwhelmed, and he has a lot on his mind. He isn't in the mood to play to the whims of an unstable and infatuated killer.

However. He can at least try to get something beneficial out of this encounter.

"Toga?"

The girl smiles, eyes unabashfully lingering upon him. "Yeah?"

"That ability of yours, the one that lets you sneak around so skillfully. How exactly does it work?"

A/N: Once again, I apologize for the slight tardiness. Real life and… another thing has really been eating up my time. (If you really want to know, said 'other thing' is hinted at in the chapter above :)