Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Guyysssss we have incoming heroes from the north and west."
"This is why we shouldn't have spent our time laughing at the guy trying to run away with a knife in his back," Dabi groaned as he set fire to some trash that was lying in the alleyway to aid in the trio's escape.
"Excuse you, that was one of my favorite knives. I reserve the right to laugh at whoever I stab with it. Right Dekkun?"
"I knew that you dipshits were going to get us caught," Deku growls between his teeth. In all honesty, he really thought this raid was going to go well, but the one problem that held them back was how they didn't anticipate All Might and Endeavor being anywhere near the area. He's still not 100% sure how none of them noticed the inferno blazing under the cover of night. Now Toga, Dabi, and Deku were being forced to run through the streets and alleys despite the fresh burn markings scattered on their skin.

"They're closing in and the only way we're going to get out of this is if we can find some kind of cover." Dabi had gotten the short end of the stick when it came to fighting Endeavor. Fire vs fire does not mix well.
"I might know a place where we can go if we can just get to the next street over." Deku said, black dots flickering around the edges of his vision. All three of them had very little stamina left, and the adrenaline that had once fueled their escape had left their systems. The pain came in floods, but it didn't stop the villains. They ran as fast as their feet would carry them, Deku leading the way to a very average apartment building. The group slowed down a little to attract less attention from any residents. Deku hustled to pull a small keycard from his utility belt, flashed it in front of the scanner and silently pushed his way inside the door to the hallway. Before he had fully closed the door behind him, he heard the shouting of a pissed off Endeavor stomping down the street.

"Are you coming?" Toga whispered, drawing the strategist's attention away from the flaming ball of garbage.
"Yea, go to the end of the hall. The elevators should be on the left." His vision became a bit fuzzy, but he continued to drag himself forward. They weren't safe yet. Then again in this line of work, you never really are.
"Dabi, fourth floor. Room 407" Deku stumbled into the elevator, barely able to keep himself standing. His burns had mostly been spread around his arms and chest. Toga had been more reckless as to be hit in the back, arms, and thighs. On the other hand, Dabi's injuries blended in with his already burned skin. It was difficult to distinguish where he'd been hit, but his most obvious injury were the burns directly on his palms. This made it difficult for him to move his hands.
"Does it look like I'm in any position to press a fucking button right now?"

"Chill Dabi, I'll do it." Toga interjected, trying to keep the suspicion levels at a minimum. Shouting at each other in an elevator did nothing for that cause. It only took a couple seconds after the doors shut for there to be a loud thud as Deku crashed.
"Are you kidding me? Deku's down for the count. After all of this?" Dabi scowled.

"He has a pretty high pain tolerance, it's kinda surprising he passed out. Oooh! Do you think he fainted from blood loss? I wanna taste some blood! Please Dabi?" Toga let out a small squeal, completely forgetting their current situation.

"One of us is gonna have to carry him. If you take him you might get some of his blood on your hands, so go ahead." The raven haired boy shrugged. The elevator let out a small "ding" as they reached the floor. The villains dragged Deku out of the lift, struggling to pick him up. A year of villain training had added to his muscle mass, much to his companions' frustration. They eventually found the apartment that Deku had told them about. Dabi pressed his ear to the door, listening for any sign of an awake resident. When he heard none, he twisted the doorknob until pain from the burns he had forgotten about caused him to flinch. Much to Dabi's surprise and relief, the door was unlocked. "This person is just begging intruders to step right in." He thought to himself.
The two dragged their unconscious leader as carefully and silently as they could manage. After getting halfway through the corridor, Toga released her grasp on Deku's legs, motioning to the door labeled "Izuku" on an All Might name plate. Dabi nodded for her to open it. Nobody would be in there. That's a fact they were sure of.
Once they had passed the initial disgust of the overwhelming amount of All Might posters, the teens collapsed on the floor. Too tired to even make it to the mattress or even remember to close the door, the runaways were easily lulled into a deep sleep.

Inko Midoriya had been absolutely devastated at her son's disappearance. She had cried for weeks at the slightest mention or reference of him, wishing and praying that he would come home. She had been hesitant to reach out to her best friend, Bakugou Mitsuki, due to the bullying her son had subjected Izuku to. At the time she might have turned a blind eye, but she was no idiot. As a mother, she knew Katsuki was toxic and aggressive but she didn't feel as if she could have done anything to prevent the bruises and burns that her son came home with every day.

Eventually she caved in and Mitsuki became her pillar of strength through her tough time. Her husband hadn't been home in 10 years and her son was gone, leaving her all alone. Although she had confided in Mitsuki, behind closed doors Inko blamed herself and a small fraction of her put Katsuki at fault. She didn't want to, but it was almost impossible to let go of the nagging in the back of her head. Months passed, but she refused to give up on her son. As a result, she left the door unlocked every night in hopes of Izuku returning one day. The effort seemed futile. A shot in the dark. An attempt in vain. Until Inko Midoriya woke up on a quiet Tuesday morning, that is. The green-haired lady had glanced down the hallway as she normally did out of habit, blinking a couple of times before realizing what was different in this picture. Her son's door was open.

Tears threatened to spill, a rising feeling of pure happiness left Inko speechless. Even before checking the room, she was prepping herself for what was to come. Taking a deep breath, Inko approached the room she had not set foot in for the better portion of a year. She held her phone close in her trembling hand, getting ready to capture the moment of welcoming her son home. She cautiously opened the door, her breath catching in her throat as she saw Izuku and two other unknown children, bloodied, bruised, and burned to no end. Taken aback, she let out a whimper. It didn't take a genius to tell that these were villains. Instead of immediately calling the police like a normal person would, she hurried to the bathroom to grab the first aid kit. He may be a villain, but that kid is still her child. She peeked into the room as she tried to gather her thoughts and question her own sanity. Before diving back into her natural mother instincts, she decided to make a call.
"Hello?" She paused until she heard the cheery response from the other end.
"He's back. Izuku is back... but he's here with two others and I think they're all on the wrong side of the law. They're hurt really badly and there is only so much I can do with bandages." Another pause.
"I don't want him to go to jail." Inko replied in a whisper, her thoughts pulling apart at the seams. "Please. I know you've done so much for me, but please find a way to help him. I'm begging you!" Her tears could no longer be held back when she spoke. The person on the other end of the line agreed to help so she hung up and went back to Izuku's room. None of the villains had stirred since she had woken up. Inko let out a sigh of relief before tip toeing over to Izuku. She sat down, placing her first aid kit beside her, and lightly tapped her child on the shoulder. He bolted up, wide eyed and ready to attack whoever had woken him up. His head was spinning from the sudden movement. He cursed under his breath and blinked a couple times as he began to recognize where he was. Only then did he turn to see the startled look on his mother's face.
"Oh... hi.." was all he managed to get out. "Well fuck. That was lame. That's one way to be a dick to your mom who's probably been worried sick." He thought to himself, not noticing how much he was muttering.
"Izu, I've brought medical supplies. Let me clean your wounds. Please?" She said in an effort to snap him out of his inaudible murmuring. He nodded. Inko took this as an invitation to get to work and patch up all of his visible burns and cuts. Toga started to wake, but just observed the mother-son duo in awe. She thought it was adorable to see the "cold and dangerous Deku" being coddled by his mom. Deku silently hoped that Dabi wouldn't wake up in time to taunt or hold this over him for being a softie. Apparently fate was against him as the older boy rose, cackling at the sight in front of him. Inko froze for a moment, unsure of how to react to the two strangers in her home.

"Always knew you were a softie, Deku!" Dabi said in between laughing.

"Honestly, I think it's kinda cute! Where else are you gonna get this type of pure relationship? It's not like any of the other people in the league have any endearing family connections! Trust me, I'd know. I've infiltrated most of their homes." Toga giggled. Inko let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. They truly were kids at heart after all.
"Shut up!" Deku growled, a slight blush dusting his cheeks. Inko laughed. For the first time since Izuku had gone missing, she wholeheartedly laughed. The feeling almost felt foreign. Inko enjoyed it as she delicately applied some Aloe Vera onto the last of Izuku's burns and turned to help the other boy.

"A-ah h-hello. I'm Inko Midoriya! It's nice to meet y-you...."
"Dabi"
"Nice to meet you Dabi. Is it okay i-if I put some Aloe Vera on your burns?" She tried to prevent her nervousness from showing too much but failed miserably.

"Deku your mom is an angel, why the fuck did you ever leave?" Dabi whirled around to stare at his green-haired associate. The younger boy just shrugged, cringing at the sore movement of his arms. Inko took the teen's calloused hands into her soft ones, and gently rubbed the gel into his skin. Once she was done, he thanked her and she slid over to where Toga sat cross-legged like a toddler.

"Hello Mrs. Midoriya! I'm Toga! I've heard so much about you! Oh wait that's a lie, Dekkun never said much about his family. But anyways I'm really happy to meet you!" The blonde squealed, putting her hands to her face as she gushed about her excitement. Inko couldn't help but be a little bit happy that Izuku had made other friends, and a terrible part of her believed that they were much better than Katsuki ever was.

There was a sudden knock at the door, causing Inko to jump to her feet to answer it.
"I'll be right back. Don't mess with those bandages Izuku!" She scolded on her way out of the room. A few minutes later she returned, with All Might, Nedzu, Eraserhead, and Detective Naomasa in tow.
"Well shit." Dabi voiced the exact thoughts of the others.

Chapter Text

"Dabi, I don't know how, but this is all your fault." Deku accused.
"Fuck off! I'm not the one who passed out in an elevator." The three teens sat on the grey couch in the otherwise empty living room, awaiting their punishment from the pro heroes. All Might passed a glance to Aizawa from across the room. It was almost ironic how much they acted like the hero students he taught on a daily basis.

"Just like you weren't the one to stab Endeavor in the shoulder!" Toga grinned, proud to finally be able to brag about her accomplishment. All Might wavered after hearing that. Perhaps they weren't as much like Class 1-A as he had thought. Wishful thinking. Dabi scowled and leaned back against the cushions.

"You're obviously not here to tell us that we're gonna be let go because of the wonderful woman that called you. Yet you know that it'd be too easy for us to escape from prison, hence the reason you've brought Eraserhead and the number one hero." Deku emphasized his sarcasm when mentioning All Might. "So, what exactly are you gonna do with us that doesn't end with you guys being killed or us running away?"

It took a couple seconds for All Might to regain his composure before announcing in his propaganda voice, "You three lucky kids will be attending Yuuei! Not only does that mean that pro heroes can keep track of you during the day, but you will be staying in the dorms overnight! Isn't that exciting?"

"Cut the crap old man. None of us are fooled by your so called godly hero image. And we sure as hell ain't going to a stupid hero school. Why don't you face us like the disappointment you really are?" Deku spit out angrily before enabling a quirk he had long since forgotten about. In an instant, All Might was reverted to his skeleton-like true form.

"What the..."

"It's a quirk that works on certain mutant types that are able to change their bodies. In other words it disables their forms for a couple seconds. I wasn't sure if it'd work on you or not, but thanks for the confirmation!" The green-haired boy cackled with satisfaction at the horrified look on All Might's face. Deku now knew for a fact that Eraserhead had his quirk activated. He couldn't care less about the the headache and increased caution in the heroes. It was definitely worth it. Inko gaped at the boy who had once worshipped heroes and would have done anything to become one himself. What happened to him? More importantly, when did he get a quirk?

All Might returned to his hero form, still uneasy from Deku's sudden change in personality. Detective Naomasa took this as permission to step in and explain the rest.
"As Midoriya-kun has pointed out-"

"Deku. My name is Deku." He glared with the force of a thousand blades dancing in his eyes.

"..As Deku has pointed out, we cannot simply let you go, or put you in even the most secure prisons due to the fact that you are all still minors. The police department came to an agreement with Yuuei to allow you guys to attend the hero school as part of a villain rehab program where you will join the heroics course. You will have a few other classes to make up for any lacking areas that you may have after spending so much time out of the school system. Are there any questions?"

Toga raised her hand.
"Yes?"
"Do we get to murder people still?"
"Absolutely no-"
"Mkay then! Dabi, Deku, we're still on for next week then!" Toga leaned over to grab Deku's arm in an awkward half embrace. The detective sighed. He found a little bit of happiness in the fact that these children weren't his problem once questioning was completed. Nedzu explained the rules of the program, and the requirement of wearing quirk suppressing bands that would also serve as tracking devices. Toga and Dabi groaned when this information was revealed. The principal ignored the protests and continued with his speech.

"What about our belongings? Deku-scrub over there might have clothes here but little miss vampire and I don't exactly have anything that isn't at the League." Dabi asked in a bored tone.

"Once we get to the school we'll find you each a uniform. In the concern of clothes outside of the Yuuei required ones, we will provide a small selection of hoodies and sweatpants that will last until the class takes their shopping trip on Friday after classes." Nedzu said, making it obvious that there was no way for them to avoid the class outing. "We'll be entrusting one of your classmates with money to pay for whatever you wish to buy, but as soon as that money is used up, you will not receive more until the next week. It's also up to said classmate to approve of your selections prior to buying the clothes." Deku had to commend this man for his detailed planning. It was a valiant effort, but he knew that you could never trust human nature. Everybody can be manipulated if you try hard enough.

"Well, if there are no more questions, then Toga and Dabi will follow Aizawa-sensei, principal Nedzu, and I to the police cars waiting in the street." Detective Naomasa said, stepping out of the room. Toga and Dabi followed suit. The blonde girl skipped her way down the hall while the dark-haired boy walked normally. Aizawa and Nedzu stayed slightly behind the two villains in case they tried anything.

The remaining three individuals stood in an uncomfortable silence.

"I guess I'll grab my stuff then." Deku said, starting to make his way to his old room. All Might dropped back into his true form, this time without Deku intervening. He politely nodded towards a flushed Inko, and followed the young boy to his room. Deku picked up the only duffle bag he could find, (which happened to be All Might themed to his annoyance) and began to pack anything that seemed like it would fit. He took note of what things he would have to look for when shopping, such as new tennis shoes, pants, and a winter coat for a later time. In his focus, he managed to overlook All Might's wide eyes scanning the room decked from ceiling to floor in All Might decor. Once he did notice, however, he made a point about the insignificance of it all.
"Don't pay attention to this shit. I haven't been home in almost a year and if I'd had the opportunity to redecorate I would have." As he searched through the back of his closet, he found the pile of notebooks he had desperately missed. When he had been with the league, he had taken the liberty of creating a second copy from memory. The originals were much better, but lacked some of the newer heroes that had recently surfaced. Deku grabbed as many as he could and placed them in his bag. Among those, he made sure to include a blank notebook to include entires about his soon to be classmates and teachers. "What kind of idiots give a villain direct access to future heroes?" He smiled to himself, hurrying to finish his packing.

Once he had organized everything, he and All Might made their way to the police cars. Inko ran to her son and hugged him as tight as she could. Deku patted her back, willing himself not to show more emotion than necessary.

"Izu, please try to visit and don't give your teachers a hard time! Be good!" She smiled, holding Izuku's hand in her own.

"No promises." He joked lightly, not really knowing which part he was responding to. He pulled his hand away and slid into the car that would take him to his living hell.

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"Yo, dude, where do you think Aizawa-sensei disappeared to? It's been a half an hour and he still hasn't shown up." Kaminari stated, hurrying to finish the homework from the previous night.

"I'm not sure, but apparently All Might and Nedzu are out too." Sero said, leaning over Kaminari's shoulder. "Number 8 is wrong. How the hell did you get Australia as an answer? This is math homework!"

"Maybe Aizawa slept through his alarm? It wouldn't be the first time." Kirishima added as he drew random scribbles over the cover of his notebook. Almost as if on cue, Aizawa entered the room. All the students returned to their seats, slightly concerned by their teacher's lack of his normal sleeping bag. Instead it was replaced by his normal hero costume, minus the goggles.

"Sorry for being late. All Might, principal Nedzu, and I got caught up doing Hero work. I have a couple announcements that are unfortunately connected to the previously mentioned work." Aizawa's deadpan voice projected across the students. "I'm only going to say this once so you better listen. As of today we will be having three new students added to the class. Don't get your hopes up yet, because they're all villains." An audible string of gasps came directly afterwards.

"Are you serious? Villains? In the hero course?" Mina asked, bewildered by the mere thought of it.

"You can't fucking expect us to just let them waltz in here like the little shits they are and pretend like everything is all-fucking-right!" Bakugou fumed, setting off tiny explosions in his palms. The entire class set into a fit of confusion and mixed feelings.

"Classmates! I think that we should all listen for an explanation as to why this is occurring. Please stay quiet and let Aizawa-sensei speak!" Iida commanded in an attempt to calm down the class.

"Thank you Iida. Now, as I was saying, due to some special circumstances of these villains they have been entered into a newly created villain rehabilitation program in which we will try to influence them to become better people. First we have Toga Himiko. She is particularly skilled with knives and drains the blood from her victims." Shivers ran down the spines of most of the students. "Her kill count totals around 115. Next we have Dabi. He is a fire user who leaves his victims burned to ashes. His kill count is estimated to be about 140. Finally, we have Deku."

Bakugou's mind shut down. It had to be a coincidence. There's no way it could be him. That quirkless fucker wanted to be a hero and nothing could have changed that. Right?

"Also known as Midoriya Izuku. He wields multiple quirks of which we are unaware of. We have only seen about 5 in action, so we recommend extreme caution. His kills haven't been officially counted, but he has boasted about causing the deaths of over 200 people." Aizawa paused, letting the reality sink in for a moment. Bakugou lost his ability to emote any type of feeling. Even anger couldn't communicate how he felt.
"They will not be allowed to hurt you, and will be under close watch by everyone here. Unless they are with a group of 5 of you or one teacher, they will not be permitted to leave school grounds. They are setting up their dorm rooms at the moment, and will not join officially until tomorrow. If you wish to meet them in advance, that is your choice. Now we have 20 minutes left of class so spend your homeroom time wisely."

The students were stunned to silence. It didn't take long before they recovered and chatted endlessly amongst themselves, questioning everything that they were just told. Meanwhile, the villains were dealing with much more troubling matters.
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"Dekkun! Which color red should I paint my walls? This one is called Red Alert which looks super cute with my curtains but this other one called Cut Ruby and it looks like blood!" Toga tugged on the boy's sleeve, pointing to the two cans of paint on the ground.

"Here's an idea that'll definitely scare the Yuuei idiots, paint the top of the walls down to about halfway but in a way that it looks like the walls are bleeding. I'd suggest the Cut Ruby because it's more ominous." He didn't even look up from his notebook. Toga punched him on the arm and skipped back to her room with the paint. Deku had painted his walls a dark green and pushed the bed he'd been given into the farthest corner. Each of them had been given a TV and a computer, since they all had their own phones anyway. He set up his computer near his bed and found his concentration music. He needed as much room and focus as he could get. Once everything else was set up, he got down to business.

3 hours and 5 paper cuts later, Deku stood back to admire his handy work. Dozens of hero analysis papers hung from the ceiling at varying heights, sticky notes containing detailed observations and facts covering the rest of the walls. He had arranged them to be in alphabetical order for his own sanity. After the final paper was hung, he stepped back to admire his own handiwork.

"This will have to do for now. Still need to write the ones about each of the students." He mumbled to himself. Just as he was going to collapse onto his bed, a shout came from the hallway.

"DEKU! BATTLE POSITIONS! CLASS 1-A HAS BEEN SIGHTED!" Deku rolled off the mattress and dragged himself into the hallway, making sure to close his door on the way out.

"What do you mean they're here already? It's only-" he glanced at his left wrist, only to be reminded of the quirk suppressing band. "It can't be any later than 12:30, they still have like 3 hours of class left."

"Oooh they must have been so excited to meet us! The teachers must have let them get out early!" Toga bounced up and down to show her anticipation. Deku rubbed his tired eyes. He would kill for the chance to sleep for the next day. Literally.

"Okay then. I guess we use Plan Raptor for this. They're bound to have outgoing ones so I'll deal with that. Overall it shouldn't be hard to keep up a facade in front of them if we-" Soon his words became too quiet to hear as he leaped into another fit of muttering. Dabi punched his arm to draw attention to the sound of doors opening and teenagers talking.

"Ugh. Social interaction. My worst fear." The shorter boy complained.

"Let's just go see what we're up against! Come on!" Toga playfully grabbed Deku's hand and directed him to the elevator.
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Jirou nodded to Kaminari. The villains were on their way. The entire class had tried to keep up their high spirits, but their subconscious actions countered. The announcement had put their nerves on edge, hence school ending early. The teachers couldn't properly teach with 19 bug-eyed, anxious teens.
Bakugou had isolated himself to the corner of the room, adding a couple of snarky remarks to the conversations that had anything to do with him.

A sharp buzz sounded from the elevator, causing all the students to stare warily at the doors as they opened. Dabi stepped out first, throwing an intimidating glare at whoever he made eye contact with. Uraraka and Kaminari visibly flinched under his gaze.

"Oh lighten up! It's not every day we get to make a first impression!" Toga snickered lightly, her eyes screaming bloody murder.
"Dekkun! Stop dosing off! What is it with you and elevators?"

The final member made his appearance, wide grin on his face.
"Sorry! I haven't had a proper night of sleep in over a year." He joked, taking note of how 18 people fell for his cheerful act.

"DEKU YOU PIECE OF SHIT! HOW DARE YOU LEAVE YOUR MOTHER LIKE THAT!" A booming voice sounded from the back, it's owner shoving his way to the front. Deku's smile dropped into a look of disgust.

"Hi Kacchan. Long time no see, huh?"

Chapter Text

"Did he just say Kacchan?" Kirishima whispered to Sero and Kaminari. The group was holding back laughter at the cute nickname that had been used to address the firecracker. Bakugou's red eyes didn't leave Deku's green ones.

"So you really did make it to the hero course! I guess some congratulations are in order. I'm assuming you wanted your hero name to be something like Explodo-murder or something. I doubt that'd fly with media. Though if it was a villain name, it'd be perfect." Deku said, refusing to lose the unofficial staring contest.

"You son of a bitch!" Bakugou lept forward, aiming a punch at the runaway's chest. Deku side stepped with ease and followed up by jabbing his opponent in the back with his elbow.

"Excuse you, my mom is a wonderful person."

Class 1-A stared at the boy who dared to push and insult Bakugou. It simply had never been done before.

"I see you've continued to keep up with the right hook." He pointed out before turning to Dabi. "I told you! Next time you have money, you gotta pay up." The older villain kicked Deku in the shin. Deku yelped out in pain, causing Bakugou to shoot back to his feet in an instant.

"He's really not as powerful as you made him out to be. I bet I'd beat him 15 seconds flat."

"Do you promise? I can only imagine what he'd look like all bloody and bruised~. I bet he'd be more perfect, especially with his eye color!" Toga's expression got even brighter. Iida finally confronted the villains when he realized nobody else would.

"This is a rehab program! There will be no beating other people up!"

"Isn't that what heroes do, though?" Deku countered. Not a single student could deny it, as taking down villains was supposed to be their job.
"That's what I thought. Well if there isn't anybody who wants to talk to all three of us with 18 other people present, then we'll be back in our rooms. Toga, you had something to show me, right?" He spun around to head back into the elevator, Dabi and Toga trailing behind him.

"Oh yea! Can you check my bleeding walls and make sure it looks realistic? It was your idea after all." She asked, making sure to say it loud enough for the heroes in training to hear. He nodded and pressed the button for the 4th floor.

"Bakugou, are you alright?" Kirishima asked, preparing for a explosion to the face that never came. The blonde had gotten into the next available elevator and headed up to the third floor without a word. His constant scowling look was still present, but to the redhead it seemed as if it had lost it's edge.

"I think it would be best if we went about our normal activities and did our homework for tomorrow. Don't let any of them get on your nerves." Yaoyorozu advised.

"We can either do our normal things or homework. You can't have both." Kaminari joked. The cloud over the students had lessened significantly. It's a shame that peace could only last so long before it got too boring for the universe.

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"What the fuck do you mean there's only kids movies?"

"I think it's kinda self-explanatory. I could eventually hack it but I'm too tired right now." The green haired boy said, squinting at Dabi's TV.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking."

"Definitely. Meet me in the common room in 10. Grab Toga while you're at it. She'll want in on this."

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"WHO THE FUCK-"

"Bakugou, language!" Iida chimed.

"WHOM THE FUCK IS SINGING HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL SONGS AT MIDNIGHT."

"It's not another movie night that Uraraka and I planned. I promise. We already had a High School Musical rewatch session." Hagakure offered in the middle of a yawn.
"If you want, I can go downstairs and check. I'll bring my phone and Jirou with me for evidence." This wasn't their first time dealing with this type of situation. Todoroki had been caught watching Frozen by Aoyama and nobody believed the guy for two weeks. Then again, everybody had been convinced he was working with the French government to spy on everybody. The two girls left to start their journey, unsure of what they'd find.

Sure enough, what they had stumbled across was the strangest thing they'd seen in their lives. Just remember that there are people in their world with quirks who make people unkillable gods, literal monsters, or just people who look like porcupines before underestimating this statement. The villains had completely cleared the common room, leaving one couch near the back, and dimmed the lights. The flatscreen TV featured High School Musical, at the very beginning of "Bop to the Top". This on it's own wouldn't seem out of the ordinary. What teen wouldn't know HSM? What really convinced Hagakure to start recording was the way Deku and Toga walked to the center of their "stage", mimicking the movie to a T. Dabi sat to the side, holding a clipboard from who-knows-where. Toga started singing Sharpay's beginning lines, dancing along. Hagakure and Jirou had to stifle their laughter as Deku joined in on Ryan's parts. His dance moves seemed ridiculous, but still matched the ones on the screen playing behind them.

"Kicking and a scratching," Toga added a teasing growl at the end of the line before continuing. Deku was fully aware of the two unwanted visitors, but this was his goddamn song and nobody was going to keep him from finishing it. The duo continued with the performance, Deku expertly matching Toga's steps for the parts where they danced in a more traditional way. The display was almost too distracting that Jirou barely saw Dabi dancing like the director who was judging the performance. She was so glad she got to see this in person and on video. There is no way that they memorized this without rehearsing for hours if not days. It took every ounce of willpower for the girls not to make a sound every time Deku shimmied along to the song. To add to the hilarity, Deku winked and smiled directly at the phone that was "floating" in midair.

When the movie got to the point where Sharpay and Ryan climbed the ladder, Toga and Deku jumped on the couch to imitate it. All that could be said was that it was less than graceful as Deku struggled to not fall off. On the final note, the duo did jazz hands while Dabi clapped from his seat.
"Bravo! Shittyraki would be so proud." He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. Jirou felt the need to reveal her presence by asking,

"How the hell are you guys even villains? You seem pretty fun!" Toga put on her signature psychotic look before giving her response.

"Because we have access to a supply of knives, we know hundreds of ways to kill you with those knives, and we know where you sleep!" The villain's honesty shook the two heroes to the core, leaving a seed of fear in the back of their heads.

"Toga, we have more creative ways to kill than that! You've gotta add some imagination!" Deku joked. Jirou and Hagakure shared a look. Or what Jirou thought was a look. You can never really tell with an invisible person.

"Well... I guess we're gonna just go. Please be quieter if you're gonna stay up. Some of us have sensitive hearing." She mentioned before walking away with her companion.
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"Are you serious?" Sero barely got the words out before bursting into a fit of laughter.

"We got it all on video!" Hagakure started to look for the clip, only to realize it was no longer there. "I swear, we had a video. Jirou and I were watching it on the way back here! What happened?"

----------------

"Deku you really are cruel." Dabi stated as he watched the boy hack into invisi-girl's phone from his computer to delete the evidence.

"It wasn't like I was going to just let them get away with it! It's part of the package that I ruin their credibility and damage their status." He collapsed onto his bed, welcoming the warmth of the blankets and pillows. Dabi started to leave, but not before bringing up a topic that's been bugging him for a long time.

"I still don't understand why you decided to set up your weird quirk analysis stuff with strings." He said, weaving his way through the notes. If he disrupted even one, Deku would have his head. At least, that's what happened to the last person who messed up his organization.

"It's a source of comfort in which I feel like I can actually make a difference to improve the lives of people around me." Dabi raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it.
"It's fun and it distracts me from sleep. It's what I used to be made fun of for. Obviously not the only thing, but that's beside the point. Sensei found use in my notes, and writing the analyses gives us better information for strategizing. It's my way of being useful. Well, at least it was before I got quirks. Old habits die hard I guess." The tired green-haired boy responded honestly this time. "If you don't have anything else to say, I'm going to get some rest. Dealing with these idiots is draining."

Dabi stopped in the doorway, speaking over his shoulder.
"Oh that's too bad! Toga and I were going to watch the other HSM movies in her room. But if you're that tired, stay here and sleep." Deku shot up, pushing himself out of the mess of pillows.

"You just want me to die of exhaustion, don't you?" He said, shoving his way past the other boy.

"How'd you know?" Dabi snickered sarcastically.

--------------------

Th next morning wasn't pretty. The 1-V kids were their normal selves to an extent, but 1-A on the other hand, looked like zombies. The villains had purposely kicked up the volume of their movies at 3 a.m. Only the lucky souls who had their rooms on the second floor weren't woken up by the sound. Uraraka would be lying if she said she hadn't considered grabbing some pans to clash together in order to disturb the villain's sleep.

There wasn't a single moment that the coffee machine wasn't in use that morning. If any of them were going to make it through class, they were going to need as much caffeine as possible.

"Who changed the time on the clock? My phone says it's 8:00, the clock says it's 7:30!" Yaoyorozu spun around in alarm. To nobody's surprise, the new students were nowhere to be found.

"Guys! Hurry! We have five minutes until class starts!" The 19 teens burst out of the dorm complex, all racing to get to class. Iida and Bakugou had a significant advantage in their frenzied sprint.

In the meantime, 1-V hung out in their seats, which had been purposely spread out as to avoid too much of a disruption. Dabi sent Deku the middle finger, and Toga stuck her tongue out at the former. Aizawa sighed, then returned to grading papers to ignore the inappropriate students. The bell for the class to begin had rung, with no sign of any of the hero kids.

"Dekkun, how much longer do you think it'll take them to get here?"

"If my calculations are correct, which they usually are, it should be any second now." His prediction was dead on, Bakugou and Iida burst through the door a short time later.

"Sensei! I apologize for our tardiness! It seems as if our clocks in the common room are off by half an hour." Iida apologized as he bowed. Bakugou was staring daggers at Deku, but the freckled boy payed no mind. Instead, he leaned back in his seat and kicked his feet onto the desk. Iida had a fit over how disrespectful he was being. One by one, more people trickled into the room. They found their seats and Aizawa started his lesson for the day.

Dabi, Toga, and Deku refused to answer any questions, or even pay attention to the topic. The only time they did respond, was to prove somebody wrong. This happened quite a lot to Kaminari and Ashido. Present Mic's class went even worse, the villains resorting to sending each other messages in sign language (if that's what you can even call it) after realizing that the English teacher was too loud to speak over. To the relief of Class 1-A and Present Mic, the bell that signaled the end of class rang.
----------------------

"Finally some good fucking food." Dabi said, holding his lunch tray. Toga stood beside him, Deku nowhere to be found.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, right Dabi?" She stepped back, preparing for the "Deku locating call" that always seemed to get their friend's attention. They've run into quite a few situations where they lose track of their short companion.

"IF SHE BREATHES, SHE'S A THOT!" Dabi yelled, gaining the attention of just about every Yuuei student in the cafeteria.

"ALL WOMEN ARE QUEENS, DABI!" Deku shouted back, shoving his way through the nearby crowd.

"Found him."

The awkwardness of 1-V and the other classes slowly faded, leaving the trio to wander around and find a place to sit.
Deku eventually spotted a booth with only one occupant. He walked up to the purple haired boy and set his tray down on the table.

"Yo, is it okay if my friends and I sit here?" He asked politely. The other boy looked up and met him with equally sleep deprived eyes.

"Yea sure. Do what you want." He said, twirling his fork around. Deku waved Toga and Dabi over to the booth, and tried to start a conversation.

"Which class are you in?"

"Gen Ed. My quirk wasn't a good match up with the robots."

"Oh really? That's a shame! They really should put more consideration into the exams. Heroes have always been so unfair, haven't they? Then again I can't really be an advocate. Villains aren't much better anyways." The group slid into an easy going atmosphere, Toga throwing in the occasional joke about murder. The trio took an instant liking to the purple-haired student. As the end of the lunch period approached, the guy exchanged phone numbers with the villains. They were about to split to go to their respective classes, when Deku remembered an essential question.
"Oh yea! Troll-hair! What's your name?"

"Shinsou Hitoshi." The boy responded, a tired smile dancing across his face.

Chapter Text

"HELLO STUDENTS!"

"Hello All Shit!"

Dabi nearly choked on his own spit from the sudden outburst from Deku.

"Good job Dekkun! You've killed Dabi!"

"Finally! I never liked that bitch."

"Now now, no more swearing!" All Might reprimanded before addressing the entire class. "Today we will be attempting Heroes vs Villains Version 2! The only difference from the beginning of the year is that Young Midoriya, Toga, and Dabi will be the villain teams. For every match there will be a combination of two of them. Grab your hero outfits and meet me out on Ground Beta!" The teacher ran out of the room to set up the training ground. 1-A did as they were told, Tokoyami having to use Dark Shadow to reach the case with his costume. Deku took a mental note on the use of the crow's quirk. 1-V started to figure out their options, considering they didn't have their normal clothes here.

"I reallyyyyyy don't want to change into the gym outfit. That blue does not go well with green hair."

"I can run and grab our outfits from the raid! Somebody patched them up a bit so they should work. You and Dabi can go ahead, I'll meet you there." Toga volunteered, skipping away.

"You do remember where Ground Beta and the locker rooms are, right?" Dabi asked out of boredom, already knowing the answer.

"Duh! Deku made us go over the Yuuei layouts about 100 times last month!" A couple of heads turned at her statement. The previously mentioned boy smiled sheepishly.

"I thought it'd come in handy some day. We all know Shigaraki wasn't ever going to be a real leader and give us the materials to actually prepare." he said quietly. Dabi nodded and Toga dashed out of the classroom to the dorm rooms. The remaining villains followed the heroes in training to the locker rooms, relaxing on the wooden benches until Toga arrived. When she did, the boys took their clothes and proceeded to change. Deku's outfit comprised of a light dress shirt with a durable black vest over the top, black pants with embedded kneepads, a basic tool belt and his signature red shoes but with small springs in the heel and shock absorbers to boost his jumping and sprinting. His favorite accessory was his mask that covered the lower half of his face with reinforced metal that formed in a jagged smile that mocked All Might's. It included a voice modifier and gas filter, along with a com set that directly linked to Dabi and Toga's matching ones. The guys switched into their clothes quickly, but not fast enough to avoid earning some comments about their scars and burns. The ones from that week's raid had been healed by Recovery Girl, but there had been much worse ones from previous experiences that couldn't be helped.

"Dude, what's with that burn on your shoulder? It looks painful!" Kirishima pointed out, looking concerned. If anybody else had asked, there would have been no response, but so far Kirishima was okay by Deku's standards.

"Ask Kacchan. He knows."

Sure enough, the blonde was staring at the ground. Grinding his teeth, Bakugou left the locker room and headed out to the training ground.

"No offense, but like, what did you do to get under his skin? I've never seen him so pissed off to the point where he isn't shouting." Kaminari questioned as he pulled his jacket on. Deku's features stiffened into a forced smile that didn't reach his distant eyes.

"I asked myself the same thing as a kid."

------------------------

The full group rejoined at the gate of Ground Beta, all geared up. All Might stood in front of the class, holding a box labeled "heroes".

"1-V! Please pick which two of you will be going against the first group of heroes." The teacher announced loudly. Deku raised his hand.

"This might seem a bit out of place for me to ask, but do you think we can have a basic demonstration of everybody's quirks before setting up? It's only fair considering they know ours. More or less." He shrugged nonchalantly. "And can we have the quirk suppressing bands removed? No matter how much we plan, it won't make up for lack of a quirk. Trust me, I learned that the hard way." The boy's eyes flicked over to the explosive blonde standing to the side with his arms crossed, taking only a split second to return his attention back to All Might. Deku hated the pro hero with all of his heart, but this was his only chance to get rid of the cuff on his wrist.

"Prior to each match, each team will be required to either explain or show off their quirk for a maximum of one minute. As for the bands, they will be deactivated once the challenge begins, and reactivated afterwards. The rest of the students and I will be monitoring the game from the control room. If I feel as if anybody overuses their power to seriously injure or kill another student, the match will be called off and Principal Nedzu will be informed. Are we clear, young Midoriya?"

"Crystal." He hadn't accounted for the possibility of a remote control. At the very least it meant that there was a better chance he could hack into the system. All in due time. The teacher proceeded to pull names out of the box two at a time. The teams are as follows:
Uraraka and Tsuyu, Aoyama and Mineta, Sero and Iida, Todoroki and Bakugou, Kirishima and Jirou, Tokoyami and Mina, Kouda and Kaminari, Satou and Ojiro, Momo and Hagakure. Shouji decided to take one for the team and sit out for this exercise since there was an odd number of students.

"No fair! Bakugou and Todoroki as a team is way too overpowered!" Mineta whined.

"It was luck of the draw." Yaoyorozu sighed, praying that thosrwu

The first three rounds were won by Toga and Dabi, even though the former technically wasn't allowed to draw blood to use her quirk. They had found a metal pole about 2 feet long for her to use as a replacement for her knives. Her movements were a bit clunky to start, but slowly became more balanced as the rounds went on. The first round the pair had hidden the weapon on the third floor in a corner away from a window. The frog could climb walls and the brunette had the power to remove gravity's affects, so the fifth floor wasn't an option. They had settled on Toga defending while Dabi provided an offense. The overall match hadn't been difficult, Uraraka had been especially intimidated by the tall boy, and Tsuyu was at a huge disadvantage.

The second round was even easier. Toga distracted the grape rat and got him separated from the French baguette. She gave Mineta a quick bop on the forehead and used the capture tape. She wishes she had gotten the chance to kill him. That pervert would deserve it. With Aoyama, she simply dodged long enough to get close, once again finishing with the tape. All Might continued to observe the almost random yet precise moves of the two villains. It was almost scary how well they worked together in battle. In his, and the student's, focus on the tv screens, they overlooked the greenette giving quiet instructions over the comm set.

Sero and Iida collapsed onto the ground outside of the building. Dabi had flooded the hallways with dark fire, consuming everything in it's path, leaving no where else to go but out.

"What does that guy think he's doing? When we did this, causing damage to the building was a bad thing!" Kirishima exclaimed, crossing his arms.

"Young Kirishima, it was essential to understand that even villains don't destroy their hideouts or capture zones due to-"

"Actually that's completely false." Deku interrupted the authoritative figure with ease. "We don't play by hero rules, so if you really thought we don't take risks then what have you been learning in this shitty school? I honestly would have expected better from the top hero!" He almost started to laugh at their expressions. All Might was dumbfounded and Kirishima looked confused.
"What kind of strategy is that?" The ginger asked, struggling to form a question that wouldn't sound stupid.

"Sometimes you just gotta through strategy out the window and go with whatever gets you the victory." He put emphasis on the word window. The teen really hoped that Toga would pick up on the hint. A minute later, she had been attacked by Sero, who had climbed in through a window on the fifth floor. He managed to disarm her, taking her metal pole. She jumped back onto her feet, standing in a defensive position. For the moment, all she could do is hold out until Dabi arrived. The black-haired boy had ended his encounter with Iida by overheating his leg engines and using his slower movements as an opportunity to use the capture tape.
"Dabitch, Toga needs you on F5, Tapeman took her weapon. " Deku whispered into his mic.

"Fuck off Deku. I'll be there in a minute."

"Wrong direction."

Dabi frowned, stopping to flip off the nearest camera, and then sprinted off in the opposite direction. After that, the match was won easily as Sero reached his quirk's limit when Dabi burned up all of his tape. The much anticipated match was about to begin.

"Will you keep the same team or switch out?" All Might inquired.

"This round it'll be Dabi and me. You could say we've got a few bones to pick." Deku stretched his arms casually as they walked down to the building in which they would go against the menaces of 1-A.

"My boy, revenge is not something a hero should act upon!"

"Well it's a good thing I'm not a hero then, huh? And don't call me 'my boy'. I'm not your son." He said sharply. That boy changes personalities faster than the snap of a finger, and in all honesty it struck the hero to the core. All Might was hesitant to deactivate the quirk suppressing band on the wrist of the green-haired kid, but it was part of the exercise.

Todoroki, Bakugou, Dabi, and Deku stood outside of the designated site, preparing to show their quirks for the sake of equal footing. Todoroki stepped forward first, without a sound. He flicked his right wrist, ice forming in a jagged line.

"Oh come on that's not all is it? You're Endeavor's kid for crying out loud!" Dabi said, slightly irritated. The ice king flinched a little, bringing his left hand up to create tiny flames that danced across his fingers. Deku made a mental note of anything that could be used with the combination of powers.

Dabi created a dark flame from his palm, wishing he could melt Todoroki's face. Or at least finish the job that somebody had started. Bakugou went next, sending deadly looks at Deku. His hands lit up in explosions of varying power. The greenette was unfazed by this, and racked his brain for the notes he had taken on the blonde prior to his disappearance.

"It's my turn now I guess. Hmmm." He wondered what quirk would be best to show off at a time like this. The villain had a quick "ah-ha!" moment as he realized which one would be fun to tease the other team with.

"Dabi, hit me with your best shot!" Both of the heroes shifted uneasily.

"Fire away?"

"Goddamnit not everything has to be a song reference, but yes." Deku activated his quirk, bracing himself for the force Dabi was bound to put behind his fire.
The raven-haired boy used his quirk to engulf his teammate in flames.
"DABI SAVE SOMETHING FOR THE ACTUAL MATCH!" Deku redirected the fire into spirals that spun harmlessly around him.

"Pyrokinesis?" Todoroki wondered aloud.

"Bingo!"

"Wait a minute you little shit head! You have this quirk and you didn't even consider using it against Endeavor?" Dabi all but yelled.

"Excuse you, I was using two other quirks at once. A third would have probably short circuited my brain!"

"Don't you think it would have been better to use that one? Are you sure you're the League's top strategist?" He pestered Deku as they walked into the building to set up their arena.

The villains set up the fake weapon on the fourth floor, finding it very unlikely that the two heroes would drop in from the roof, but prepared in case they did. Deku set up electric barriers around the object for protection. They decided that Dabi would defend while Deku roamed the halls.

"I'm positive that Kacchan will try to locate me and spend all of his efforts on taking me down. That'll give Todoroki the chance to try and slip past to find you. Be ready and remember to listen for signals over comms from Toga." He reminded, switching on his voice modifier for a dramatic effect. An air horn signaled their permission to commence with the match.

Deku took confident steps down the hallways on the second floor. His explosive opponent came flying around a corner, followed by Todoroki.

"Deku!" Bakugou charged at the villain who stood haughtily in front of him. Deku grinned maniacally, despite his mouth being hidden by his mask.

The game was on.

Chapter Text

"Toga can you play track 5 when Endeavor's kid reaches Dabi?" Deku asked over his mic, jumping out of Bakugou's way.

"Affirmative!" The girl giggled, keeping her eyes glued to the screens that covered the full wall of the command center.

"HEY FUCKFACE! DON'T IGNORE THE THREAT IN FRONT OF YOU TO TALK WITH YOUR IDIOT SERVANTS."

"He did not just call me your servant." Dabi scoffed in an offended way, putting his hand on his chest as if he couldn't believe what he'd just heard. The effort was only appreciated by Toga, as the other heroes watching were extremely confused by the villain on defense.

"Oh no he didn't!" Toga snapped her fingers in a sassy manner, earning odd looks from her peers. Deku sighed out of anger, using his pyrokinesis quirk to redirect the fire from Bakugou's explosions to backfire on the blonde.

"JUST SHUT UP YOU IDIOTS! UNLESS YOU HAVE SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO SAY, DON'T WASTE YOUR BREATH." Midoriya roared into his mic, his stone faced façade melting away like a candle. Bakugou took a step backwards. This wasn't the useless kid he remembered, that much was obvious, but what kind of shriveled up, cold blooded villain had he become? Was it really his fault that Midoriya turned out this way?

Toga switched her communicator over to the private line to Dabi. Even as a pair of murderers, it was terrifying to both of them when Deku's sanity went off the deep end.

"Be careful. You know how reckless he gets. Let's just hope he doesn't injure himself as badly this time." The female twiddled with her thumbs anxiously, eyeing the screens focused on Midoriya and Bakugou. She noted that Todoroki had already disappeared from behind the blonde.

"Icy-hot is on his way! If you draw any of his blood, save it for me! I bet it'd taste great." She said a little too loudly.

"Hell no! If you want some, come get it. I'm not a fucking weirdo like you."

"Come on Dabi! You know you love us~ Oh and watch out, Todoroki's coming down the hall to your left." Cold air brushed across Dabi's skin, indicating the closing distance.

"Wow. I never would have guessed. If you could do me a favor, switch back to the open line and stop talking to me." He quickly switched his mic's setting before generating flames in the palms of his hands. Around the corner, Todoroki crept warily, nearly flinching when he caught sight of Dabi. He steeled himself, preparing to go full force in battle. The black-haired teen wasted no time in directing dark flames at his opponent. Todoroki barely managed to form an ice barrier in time. This battle was going to be a grueling one.
------------------------

Lightning surged in all directions, ricocheting off the walls in a brilliant dance that leaped all around the room. Bakugou did the one thing he hated most. He turned reluctantly, escaping to the stairs that led to the next floor.

"Running away? How unheroic." Deku insinuated, following in a calm walk. His modified voice echoed around the hallway and up the stairway. The electricity faded, only to be replaced with icicles that began to protrude from the walls. Bakugou swiftly evaded the ice, not daring to use his explosions to propel himself forward in such a close space. In his haste, he hadn't been able to dodge all of the spikes and sustained a few scrapes of varying severity. Bakugou's blood boiled like lava. One year. One year was all it had taken for the once cheerful boy to switch to the dark side, never to return again. Was heroism really not that important to Midoriya? Was it all a lie?

Or had he truly overlooked every single detail that could have been an indicator?

"Don't get lost in thought Kacchan! It only makes you slower!" Deku interrupted, head tilted. His movements were no faster than before, but precise enough to give the illusion of his presence being bigger than it was in reality. He silently signaled Toga to reverse the communicator projection. She did as she was told and made it so that everybody around her could hear everything that the battling pair said.

"FUCK OFF DEKU!"

The green haired boy laughed. "Still as vulgar as ever I see. You never did enjoy being stood up to."

"And you never wanted to be a villain! What happened?"

"Other than the bullying, being let down by the one person that gave me hope, and finally realizing that being quirkless got me nowhere in life? Hmmm let me think about that for a minute." His steps became longer and faster, catching up to Bakugou little by little. The hero realized his only option was to get to the roof where he could safely set off explosions in an open area. It was a game of cat and mouse, and it was not within Bakugou's nature to scamper around. He wanted to fight back. He was itching to smash Deku's stupid face into the ground for all the heartache he caused.

"Why is Midoriya talking to Bakugou like they've known each other a long time?"

"I wonder why they hate each other so much."

The classmates whispered amongst themselves, trying to figure out what their blonde classmate had been hiding.

--------------------------

In the meantime, Dabi was gaining the upper hand over Todoroki who refused to use his fire. Either way it was a bad match up for him. Fire beats ice, fire and fire doesn't mix. If anything, it'd cause damage to the building, which is the last thing that Todoroki was trying to do. Out of the blue, Toga remembered Deku's earlier instructions about the music he had planned in advance for the match up.

Katy Perry's "Hot and Cold" rang through Dabi's and Toga's mini speakers, startling both of the guys in the exercise, and many of the onlookers. A couple of them couldn't hold back their laughter as the song was so fitting for Class 1-A's resident ice prince

"WHAT THE FUCK TOGA?" IS THIS REALLY NECESSARY?"

"Dekkun's orders!" She cackled, clutching her stomach.

"I hate this fucking family." He muttered as he delivered a front-snap kick to his opponent's chest, knocking the confused Todoroki his back. He gasped for air, struggling to rebound.

"Get back up. Endeavor's masterpiece shouldn't be this weak." The heterochromatic eyes flared.

"What do you-"

"I wonder how your dear old dad would react to knowing that his pet project is going to be beaten by the one he threw away."

"I don't understand." Todoroki rose to his feet, taking up a fighting stance.

"You really are dense. Don't you see the resemblance? The eyes. The fire. Getting the picture yet, little brother?"
--------------------------------

Bakugou burst through the door to the rooftop, breathing heavily. He had stockpiled enough sweat to blast Deku into next week, but if he even tried to set off an explosion it would be rerouted back to him. His plan had been a dead end.

"What was it that you said to me? Merely a year ago. I think it was the day I decided to look for a better place to call home." Midoriya stepped closer, his eyes screaming murder. "Take a swan dive off the roof and hope and pray with all your might and maybe just maybe you'll be born with a quirk in your next life. That's what you said right?" He edged on, closing the distance. The tone of his voice became crazed and taunting, with the modifier gone.

"I did go to the roof that day. Almost did take the plunge. You probably would have enjoyed that! But I was a coward and went the other direction to go on a walk that Midoriya Izuku never returned from. Only Deku. Deku the villain. Deku the strategist. Deku, your worst nightmare that haunts you in the dead of night." The villain reached forward and grabbed the front of the hero's shirt, shoving him to the edge of the building.

"One wrong move and you fall!"

"I'm not-"

"Oh but you are." A knife protruded from the boy's arm, held only a few centimeters from Bakugou's throat.

"I've been waiting for this moment! Revenge is always a wonderful feeling."

"MIDORIYA. THE MATCH HAS BEEN DISQUALIFIED. YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO HURT BAKUGOU." All Might commanded over his speaker, hurrying to press the button to reactivate his student's quirk suppressing band. The knife sank back into the villain's skin without a trace. Deku scowled, threw his earpiece off the building, and shoved the hero. The explosive boy barely managed to keep his footing. A tinge of fear rang through his head, thoughts running at a million miles per second.

If he could use his explosions, the fall could be avoided. But he'd rather not take the risk in case something happens.

"So quiet. Are you really this weak now Kacchan?"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! You've caused so much pain to the people who knew you. Do you even realize how much shit your mother went through for you? Don't you dare act like this is my fucking fault!"

"You always know just what to say to make me mad." Deku forcefully poked his enemy, driving him even closer to the brink of the ledge. "But I am curious. Did you ever tell anybody about me? Or was I another touchy subject that wasn't brought up?"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK?" Bakugou yelled, nearly spitting at Deku. "Was I supposed to tell everybody 'Oh yea, this nerd that I used to bully as a kid went missing after I told him to go die'?"

"I mean, you kinda did just tell everybody in your class."

"What the fuck do you mean, they-" Deku simply tapped his mask, letting the thought sink in for only a moment before giving Bakugou a push with enough power to knock him off the building.

"See you Kacchan. I hope you enjoy playing hero."

Whether it was because of logical calculation, luck, or even a tiny bit of mercy that Deku still held onto along with his previous friendship, All Might arrived in time to catch Bakugou from his free-fall. A small sigh escaped Midoriya's mouth, leaving a grimace on his face. He had thought he had detached himself enough. Maybe not.
---------------------------

The rest of the matches ended in losses for the heroes, with varying degrees of partial success. Deku had been suspended from the rest of the exercise, and was forced to sit out. Every once in a while he would catch his classmates looking at him in a mix of uncertainty. He brushed it off with ease. Shigaraki had burned the part of him that would fear those looks long ago.

That evening there had been little talk of Bakugou or Deku, as most of the students had enough sense to know not to bother an angry Bakugou. Most of them. Kirishima didn't know when to quit.

The red-head knocked on his friend's door, earning some "no don't do it" signals from Sero and Tokoyami. He ignored their warning and knocked again, only to get no response. In a final effort, he tried to open the door. To his surprise, it was unlocked. Kirishima gave a quick thumbs up to Sero as he headed into the room.

"He has a death wish doesn't he?" Tokoyami speculated, crossing his arms.

"I pray for Kiri. Let us hope that Bakugou pities the poor fool.
---------------------------

"Heyyyyy.... Bakugou... you in here?" Kirishima asked, venturing further into the bedroom.

"What the fuck do you want?"

"I just wanted to see if you were doing okay. Uhhh... where are you?"

Bakugou shifted, one of his pillows falling onto the floor. He had been curled up on his bed, left with his own thoughts until this dumbass showed up.

"I'm doing fine. Just leave me alone Shittyhair." Kirishima did the opposite and pretended to fall on top of the blonde, trying not to laugh at the string of curse words that spilled out of Bakugou's mouth.

"There's the King Explosion Murder we all know and love!"

"I WILL EXPLODE YOUR SHITTY FACE OFF!"

"Awww you really do care!" Kirishima understood that this wasn't a good time to talk about Midoriya, but he couldn't just leave Bakugou on his own. "Are you going to go shopping with us tomorrow?"

"Hell no!"

"Pleaseeeee!" Kirishima begged, putting his puppy eyes on display. "You don't have to be anywhere near Deku, please come with us! It'll be fun!" Bakugou stiffened at the mention of his childhood friend, but who could say no to this ginger idiot?

"Fine." He grumbled under his breath. Little did he know that this was the moment he fucked up big time.

Chapter Text

Shinsou had always been a decent person. He always fed the neighborhood cats, turned in all of his homework, and even refrained himself from brainwashing a couple people who pissed him off. So why was he now stuck with three villains, and the entirety of Class 1-A on a trip to the mall?

"Shinsou-kun! Over here! Sit next to me!" Toga waved him over, patting the bus seat next to her. "Dekkun and Dabi are being fashionably late as always! They should be here any minute." He took a seat, trying to block out the stares of the hero students on the bus. He'd always been told he'd be a good villain, and he can only imagine how this made him look. A familiar broccoli-head stepped onto the bus to interfere with his thoughts.

"Hey! You showed up! Good to see you, Trollhair." Deku slid into the seat next to Shinsou, greeting him like an old friend. Even if these guys became the worst villains of their time, he couldn't deny that they were the only true allies he'd ever had. Dabi leaned back into the bench on the other side of Toga. Their conversation carried on lightly, which was a bit weird to 1-A. The only thing they had gotten out of the villains were snide remarks and insults. Ashido decided to be the poor soul who asked about the Gen Ed student crashing their trip.

"So.... what're you doing here? This is kinda a heroics course thing." She said to Shinsou, internally cringing at how terrible her words sounded out loud. "Not to say that you should be here that is! I have to admit I'm a little curious." She tried to recover from her horrible start.

"Shinsou is here because we invited him. What's the harm in bringing another Yuuei student? If anything, his quirk is gonna keep us from causing trouble a whole lot quicker than any of you guys." Deku interjected, putting a hand on his companion's shoulder.

"He's right, you know." Dabi shrugged, only sending Ashido a glance from the corner of his eye.

"Oh. I guess that makes sense. Sorry for bothering you! But if you want to join Momo, Jirou, and me to get some tea, feel free to come along." She directed her statement towards Shinsou, trying to offer him an escape from the overbearing 1-V teens.

"I'll pass. I prefer coffee." He said shortly with a slight nod to recognize that he was being polite. The rest of the trip to the mall continued to be as normal as one could expect, with the exceptions of the occasional glare from Deku and Dabi aimed towards Bakugou and Todoroki respectively.

All of a sudden, Deku's phone started to ring. A few heads turned toward the noise, but most of the class kept chatting. Deku groaned as he saw who the caller was.

"It's Shittyraki. He's gonna be rubbing our defeat in my face. Ugh. The fucker loves to be annoying as shit." he told Toga and Dabi before pressing the answer button. Deku put the phone to his ear, instantly regretting it as there was yelling on the other side instead of the expected laughing. He put some distance between himself and the phone for a second. The villain mouthed a quick "please help" to his teammates, then went back to the call.

"Jeez Kurogiri I get it. You're mad. Why the fuck are you using Shigaraki's phone?" A pause.
"Ohhhhhh. My bad. I forgot I blocked your number after that one murder of that company owner. I think it was two weeks ago." Another second of silence.
"Dude are you my dad or what. It's not my fault that we got caught. Blame Dabi. It's always his fault." Dabi gave Deku the middle finger when he was mentioned.

"What the fuck do you mean Sensei's leaving us here. He can't do that. I won't survive here for much longer!" Toga's eyes widened. It was unclear how she felt as her smile contorted into something much worse.

"TELL SHITTYRAKI TO FUCK OFF. I'D LOVE TO SEE HIM STUCK HERE WITH US. SEE IF HE'S LAUGHING THEN." Deku hung up in anger with a huff. Shinsou patted the boy's back in an attempt at comfort. Do villains even need to be comforted?

"Please tell me that wasn't what I thought it was." Dabi said in a ticked off manner. He raised an eyebrow at Uraraka who had been staring at them during the majority of the phone call. She diverted her gaze, whistling while she tried to listen in.

"Awwww is Handy not joining us?" Toga whined, pouting.

"Kurogiri said that it's because we got caught and it's 'an important lesson' or some bullshit. Shigaraki suggested we stay here as punishment. They'll come get us eventually. They'll need me. You two maybe not so much, but whatever."

"Remind me to burn his video games when we get back to the hideout."

"Noted."
-----------------------------

"Please disembark from the bus in an orderly fashion! We must discuss what groups will take turns with 1-V!" Iida commanded once the vehicle had come to a halt outside the mall. It had been decided that Shinsou would be with the group for as long as he wished, and the first four hero kids to stay with the trio were Iida, Uraraka, Tsuyu, and Tokoyami. Shinsou volunteered to be in charge of the villain's spending money since he would be with them a majority of the time. The students dispersed into the busy mall to find what they needed.

Iida turned to face 1-V, preparing to give more instructions only to see that Dabi was teasing Shinsou and Toga was trying to give Deku a hug, to which the green-haired boy was avoiding at all costs. The class president sighed. "Stop messing around! We're in public!"

"You don't understand," Deku said, dodging Toga's grasp. "The last time she hugged me, she stabbed me in the back. And I mean that literally."

"There will be no stabbing! Let us just go inside and shop." Iida directed, trying to get the group to move on.

"Come on. We can stop by Hot Topic. There's new stuff in there that I wanna check out." Shinsou added. The villains responded positively to the suggestion, and Tokoyami brightened up a little.

Iida, Uraraka, and Tsuyu let themselves be dragged along by their group-mates. Iida flinched a little once they had arrived at the store. He'd never been anywhere remotely close to Hot Topic, and he came to the conclusion that he never wanted to ever again. The hard-core rock music blasting through speakers in the room didn't help with his dislike of the place.

"Shinsou! Look at this Eraserhead pop figure! It's hair looks like yours under this light!" Deku called out to his half-asleep supervisor. Toga was marveling at the selection of dresses that had designs of blood dripping from the shoulders. Tokoyami and Dabi searched through the ripped jeans to find any in their size. Once they'd found a few pairs, they looked for sweatshirts to match the pants. In the end, Dabi had selected two pairs of ripped jeans, a galaxy sweatshirt, and a black long sleeved shirt with purple flames that extended from the wrist to the shoulder. According to the tag, in the sun the flame design turned orange, but in darker areas it returned back to purple.

When quirks had become a major part of people's lives, not only did the hero path open, but many previously existing industries boomed. The movie making, clothing, and art industries were especially affected and improved greatly as time went on. The group was almost finished with Hot Topic when Deku found a small collection of pins based around him and Dabi. He hurried to grab a few, joining Shinsou in line for check out.

"Look at this! I didn't think I'd become this popular! They got my mask wrong though. It doesn't have jagged teeth. Maybe I should modify it. Wouldn't it be scary?" Shinsou half-smiled at the thought of it.

"You should attach one to Bakugou's bag or uniform and see how long it takes him to notice."

"Holy shit that's genius. I'm gonna grab more. Don't tell Iida." Deku handed off the buttons, then proceeded to grab a handful of the pins. Shinsou put the clothes and buttons onto the counter, pulling out the wallet with the money he'd been entrusted with. The cashier's jaw dropped at the sight of Deku. She obviously knew who he was, and seemed to be scared out of her mind. Midoriya caught onto the look, and gave the woman an innocent smile to ease her mind. Her shoulders relaxed a little, but that didn't stop her hands from shaking.

"Seriously dude, do you have to frighten every person you meet?" Shinsou joked in an attempt to lift the tension.

"I don't try to! It kinda comes with the job though." Deku countered, running a hand through his curls. The pair thanked the lady, then walked out of the store to join the others.

"Where should we head to next?" Uraraka asked, hoping that the villains wouldn't answer this time. Thankfully, they didn't. Iida suggested they make a stop at a shoe store, as he had ruined the tread on his old tennis shoes after training. The group agreed and trailed along. Dabi, Shinsou, and Deku were conversing during the walk. Toga tugged on Deku's sleeve to slow him down. She was no longer smiling, and looked a little sad.

"What's wrong?" He inquired softly. It wasn't often that Toga acted like this. Even in the worst situations, she kept a demeanor of crazed happiness. The blonde villain discreetly pointed out a girl who couldn't be older than 5 that looked lost and afraid. Deku understood what she meant and quietly explained the situation to Dabi. The three silently edged away from the group, carefully trying to keep the heroes in training from noticing.

The lost child had dark blue hair worn in a simple ponytail, large orange eyes, and numerous star-shaped freckles scattered across her skin. Toga was the first to approach the little kid, sinking down to her knees to level with the girl. Deku and Dabi stayed a safe distance away to assure that they didn't overwhelm the child.

"Hi, my name is Toga. Are you lost?" She asked in a calming tone. The child nodded, wiping tears out of her eyes.

"I can't find my mommy. I want my mommy." She sniffled loudly.

"What's your name, sweetie?"

"K-Kichi."

"Kichi, my friends and I will help you find your mother, okay?" Toga offered her hand to the crying girl. She took it, and stuck to Toga's side as if she was being held there by glue.

"Dabi, can you go find the help desk? Deku and I will stay here with Kichi and you can text us directions. Mkay?" The taller boy gave a slight nod before embarking on his search. The remaining villains and the child found a bench to sit on until they received word from Dabi.

"Are you heroes?" Kichi tilted her head in question.

"Not exactly. We are going to a hero school though!" Toga explained in a half-truth. Kichi took this as an acceptable answer, slowly but surely warming up to the two teens.
A couple minutes later, Deku had obtained directions from Dabi. Toga picked Kichi up without too much of a hassle. Deku smiled on the inside.

They might be villains, but they couldn't help but show a soft spot for little kids. All three of them had experienced the terrors of childhood first hand.
----------------------------

"Guys! Where are the villains?" Uraraka whirled around, scanning the nearby crowds for any sign of them.

"They were here a second ago! Shinsou! Weren't they talking to you?" Iida asked, a tinge of panic surfacing.

"Dabi said that he left his phone in Hot Topic. Or something like that." He shrugged.

"And you didn't think it was a good idea to go with them? They could be causing havoc by now!"

"Do you hear alarm bells going off? No? Neither do I. Have a little more faith in them. Maybe they aren't as bad as they seem." A sudden announcement sounded over the loudspeaker a moment later.

"Attention please. There is a mother missing her daughter. If you find a girl with blue hair and orange eyes wearing a NASA dress, please bring her to the help center on the third floor. I repeat, if-"

"Aizawa-sensei is going to have our heads! We have to find them immediately. Uraraka and Tsuyu, please go check back the way we came. Tokoyami, Shinsou and I will go to the help desk" Iida directed as he made his way to the escalator. Shinsou followed without a word, feeling too tired to deal with people today.

A couple minutes later, Uraraka and Tsuyu saw a hint of familiar green hair heading up to the next floor.

"Is that-"

"I think so. We should hurry, ribbit. Text Iida and let him know Deku is in sight. No sign of Dabi."

The duo shadowed after the villain, Toga coming into sight. On her shoulders, she was carrying a girl that matched the description of the missing child from the announcement. Uraraka was about to confront Deku and Toga, only to be stopped by Tsuyu.

"The girl isn't struggling. Wouldn't she be more frantic if they were forcing her to come with them?" Tsuyu reasoned.

"That's... true. Let's keep following them for now, I guess."
----------------------------

"Please tell me that it's not in my head that two of the Yuuei students are stalking us."

"Nope! I see 'em too!" Toga giggled.

"We should keep going. We need to get Kichi to her mother. Turn left. Dabi ran into her when he was giving directions."

"You know where my momma is?" Kichi patted the top of Toga's head excitedly.

"Yep! We should see her any minute!"

Upon arrival, Toga returned the child to the floor, keeping an eye out for any sign of Dabi. The teen walked into view, a tall blue-haired woman in tow. Kichi took off running towards her mother, tears dripping on her cheeks. Shinsou, Tokoyami and Iida had met up with Tsuyu and Uraraka nearby.

"Thank you so so so much for helping my daughter. You have no idea how worried I was." Kichi's mother praised, bowing her head.

"Glad we could be of use!" Toga responded, wrapping an arm around Deku's shoulders. "We should probably get going though. I have no doubt that we have some people looking for us too." She sent a pointed look at the 5 eavesdropping 1-A students.

Toga waved goodbye to Kichi and her mom, Dabi practically dragging her away. Iida refrained from chastising the villain kids until he was sure they were out of ear-shot from the strangers.

"What in the world did you think you were doing when you left? You were supposed to stay with us!"

"We're trying to learn how to be heroic right? Or at least that's what you guys are trying to teach us. We saw a crying child and we decided to do something to help. Is that not something we should do?" Deku rolled his eyes. He almost wished that he could deal with Shigaraki instead of being with the class president. Almost.

"Can we leave yet?"

Shinsou shook his head and grabbed Deku and Dabi's shirts by the sleeves to force them to go into another shop with him.

"Hey! I'm not done talking to you!" Iida jogged after them, Tokoyami reluctantly joining.

"Shinsou's the only person who's been able to control Dekkun like that without a quirk! I bet Kurogiri would like him." Toga suppressed a giggle. Tsuyu and Uraraka shared a look of confusion. They couldn't begin to understand why the "cruel-hearted" murderers had stepped in to show kindness to a kid.

"She reminded me of myself when I was little. Alone. Afraid. I wonder what kind of difference it would have made if heroes hadn't given up on those who needed them most." Toga's voice sounded distant. Neither of the girls could see her face, but it was stone cold. She skipped away to join the rest of the group, leaving Tsuyu and Uraraka even more confused than they already had been.
---------------------------

The ride back to the dorms had been uneventful and relaxed. Shinsou and Toga had fallen asleep on either of Deku's shoulders. It hadn't taken the leader long to close his eyes and drift off as well. Dabi was sure to get a picture before leaning on Toga. He didn't sleep, but instead played a game on his phone. They were like a pile of cats.

It was understandable that they were sleepy, as Deku had endlessly teased Bakugou when they had been stuck in the same group. Deku had tried to escape again, but Kirishima was much too strong for all of his kindness. Shinsou had a quarrel with Bakugou as well, which just went to show that Dabi was the babysitter of the group sometimes.

At the end of the bus ride the villain's said goodbye to their purple-haired friend, and returned to the dorms to pick up their catnap in their dorms.

In Deku's weary state, he had neglected to check his phone for the remainder of the night.
---------------------------------

Toshinori roamed the halls of the administration dorms. He had been restless the last couple of nights since Midoriya Izuku had been found. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't help but feel as if the boy's change in personality had been his fault. Maybe if he'd been the hero he was meant to be things could have been better. If he'd just shown more compassion.
Toshinori's head was brought out of the clouds by the sound of his phone ringing.

"Hello?" He answered, not bothering to check the number.

"I don't see why not. The teachers and I would love to see you! How about 1:00 tomorrow? I'll meet you at the opening gate." He paused for a response. "See you later Inko. Don't forget to get some rest." He wished Mrs. Midoriya good night and put his phone back in his pocket.

Toshinori let out a breath, glancing at the clock. 2 a.m. It seems as though he wasn't the only one that carried regrets throughout the night.

Chapter Text

"YOU LITTLE SHIT!"

"Oh have the turns have tabled" Toga commentated through her uncontrollable giggling.

"HOW COULD YOU BETRAY ME LIKE THIS? DOES OUR PARTNERSHIP MEAN NOTHING TO YOU?"

"Long live the king." Deku said as he placed his 'Draw 4' uno card on the center pile. Dabi slammed his fists on the table.

"FIGHT ME RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW."

"Can we please just play a game that doesn't end with arguing every time?" Shinsou groaned, collapsing back onto the couch. He had unofficially-officially started to move in with the villains. It's only a matter of time before the grape rat is kicked out anyways.

"How about Monopoly?" Toga suggested

"Hell no. Deku always cheats with strategy." Dabi snapped.

"That's a bit contradicting."

"Remember when Shigaraki disintegrated the counter the last time we played? Kurogiri was pissed."

"Speaking of 'Raki, can we send him a picture and make him jealous?" Toga asked eagerly, lightly poking Deku's shoulder.

"I don't think the word 'jealous' is in his vocabulary. But sure." They proceeded to get a couple of pictures, Shinsou front and center.

-Not Suspicious At All-

(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside: sent a photo

(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside: I have a preposition. We should replace Shittyraki with our fellow sleep deprived kin, Shinsou.

Handy-Man: Hell to the no

Papagiri: I would almost say yes if he wasn't in the hero course.

Surprise Bitch: He's in Gen Ed

Papagiri: ........I'll talk to Sensei about it.

Knife Wife: Yay!

Papagiri: Only if you can convince him to join us.

Handy-Man: Bitch nah.

Handy-Man: What's his quirk? I doubt it'd match our criteria

(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside: Brainwashing

Handy-Man:.....

Handy-Man: Well shit

Deku closed the chat and turned to Shinsou, who had been left confused as all three of the villains had started typing on their phones.

"Heyyyyyy Shinsouuuu. My dude. My bud. My best pal. How'd you like to become a villain?"

"Not a chance." He sighed.

"Why not?"

"Why do you think I enrolled at Yuuei?"

"Okay, okay I see your point. But at least think about it! Your talents would be appreciated with us."

"Whatever." Shinsou shook his head in disdain. "Sorry to say, but it's not gonna happen."

Deku leaned over to stage whisper in Toga's ear, his eyes not leaving Shinsou.

"Tell Kurogiri to hold off on talking to Sensei." Toga quickly typed what she had been told and sent the message.

"Oh yea, I forgot to tell you but Robot-kun was asking for permission to add you to some heroics group chat or something. I gave him your numbers, hope you don't mind." Shinsou stated, starting to walk away. Dabi grabbed his collar and dragged him back to the couch.

"You did what now?"
---------------------------

Class 1-A

Super Sonic Racing: I think it is time we formally add our 1-V classmates!

Dynamite: FUCK NO

Tape Dispenser: I'm with Bakugou on this one. It looked like they were suffocating the purple haired guy in the common room.

Super Sonic Racing: We still must be inclusive to all of our fellow students!

Super Sonic Racing added (Don't) Wake Me Up Inside, Knife Wife, and Surprise Bitch to the chat

(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside changed the chat name to WHAT'S UP BITCHES

SlipNSlide: Just... why?

(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside: because fuck you that's why

Surprise Bitch: He wasn't kidding.

Surprise Bitch: Shit.

Knife Wife: Lighten up Dabi! Have a little fun for once!

Super Sonic Racing: Thank you Toga!

Knife Wife: Just pretend like we're murdering Endeavor!

Super Sonic Racing: I take that back.

BobRoss: Uhhh

BobRoss: Guys who's that lady who's walking with All Might through the front gate?

Defying Gravity: What lady? What does she look like?

Rock: Shoulder length hair. Looks dark. Almost black? It kinda looks green or blue. I can't tell from here. She's kinda short.

Defying Gravity: Maybe it's Tsu-chan's mom?

Here Come Dat Girl: Nope

Here Come Dat Girl: She always takes my brother to soccer on Saturdays

(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside: AJSHDKSNJSI

(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside: shIT

Surprise Bitch: What the idiot means to say is, that is his mom.

SlipNSlide: What

SlipNSlide: Are you serious

Knife Wife: Yep! She patched us up after our run in with En-dead-vor! (๑>◡<๑)

Todoroki: As much as I love to hear my father being trash talked, is it really okay to have Deku's mother here?

(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside changed Todoroki's nickname to Katy Perry

Surprise Bitch: You really aren't going to let that go, are you?

(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside: Never

(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside: Well.

(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside: Gotta go.

Katy Perry: How do I change my nickname

BobRoss: Nobody tell him

BobRoss: Ever

KnifeWife: Dabi! Come with me to say hi to Mrs. Midoriya!

Surprise Bitch: Why are you texting me while we're literally standing next to each other

KnifeWife: Because it gives me an alibi

KnifeWife: Well toodles! Imma go hug Deku's mom! She's so sweet!

Defying Gravity: What do you mean by an alibi?

Tape Dispenser: Maybe it's best not to ask

-----------------------------

Deku ran out of the dorm complex, trying to catch sight of where his mother and All Might were. A large hand was placed on his shoulder. Midoriya flinched, jumping away from the person.

"Holy shit on a stick, there's a million things I wanted to do today and having a heart attack wasn't one of them."

"Izuku, be nice!" Inko crossed her arms, looking like a sassy teddy bear. All Might frowned a little after seeing the way Deku had been scared by his sudden touch. It wasn't out of a normal startle, but one that showed much more underlying fear that was meant to be hidden.

A second before All Might could start to speak, Toga came skipping across the grass.

"Mrs. Midoriya! Whatcha doing here?"

"I came to check up on Izuku, and I brought treats with me! They probably aren't very good though, I never get the timing quite right." Inko's smile was dazzling. Toga could only imagine what Izuku's brightest smile would look like if he actually used it.

"I've only been here a couple days. You don't need to check up on me." Deku muttered, catching sight of Dabi walking towards them.

"Izu! You disappeared a year ago and didn't tell me where you went or what happened to you. I was worried sick, and now that you're back I want to spend time with my son." Inko turned to the other two villains and grabbed their hands.

"And I wanted to make sure that you two are okay. You were in really bad shape when I found you. Are you alright? Have your burns healed?" Dabi's eyes widened a bit at the sudden concern radiating off of the older woman. Toga nodded excitedly, bouncing lightly on her feet.

"Yep and yep! Recovery Girl patched us up when we arrived! I don't think she was too happy to see the condition of Dabi's skin though."

"I'm glad to hear that! Have you guys made any friends yet? Mitsuki told me that Katsuki is attending Yuuei, have you caught up at all?" Izuku shifted at her last question.

"Friends aren't exactly our area." Dabi said, clearing his green haired partner from having to answer.

"Oh but Izuku has always been so good at making friends." Dabi snickered at Inko's statement. "Do you think I could meet your classmates?"

"No." The trio responded with varying degrees of insistence.

"Of course! I'm sure it'd be wonderful for the students to meet you!" All Might chimed in, reminding the villains of his presence. Dabi groaned dramatically, toppling over Toga.

"Get off!"

"Gravity is increasing on me."

"No it's not!"

"The same thing happened last week. I swear."

"Ughhhh!" Toga pushed Dabi off of her, holding back a grin. The group set off to the dorms, Deku lagging slightly behind.
----------------------------

Leading the way, Dabi opened the door to the common room. Not to his surprise, many of the students were lounging on the couches or near the wall plugs. He assumed they were interested to see the woman who raised a villain, and boy were they going to be pleasantly disappointed.

"Deku stop being a loner and get over here." Dabi called out as Toga entered. Izuku hesitantly joined the duo, with Inko and All Might following closely. The mother's eyes scanned the room, landing on her target.

"Katsuki! It's been so long since I've seen you!" She approached the boy who was surrounded by other classmates.

"Aunty Inko. I didn't think you'd be here." Bakugou diverted his gaze, tilting his chin up.

"Who are your friends?" Inko asked cheerily, waving at the group of boys wearing expressions of confusion and awkward relief.

"Kirishima!" The red head announced proudly, wrapping an arm around Bakugou's shoulders. It's a miracle that he didn't get his face blown up into millions of pieces.

"I'm Kaminari, that's Sero." The other blonde said, pointing at the friend sitting next to him.

"Nice to meet you boys! I'm Izuku's mother, please call me Inko. I brought some snacks for everybody." She paused, looking down at her box of cookies and cupcakes. "Where can I put this?"

Yaoyorozu guided her to the dining room table, arranging the containers of sweets.

"Is she really Deku's mother? She seems too nice to have raised that guy." Sero blurted out.

"Oh come on. You guys gotta give me some credit. I wasn't always terrible!" Deku responded with a forced easygoing manner, hyperaware of the number one hero looming over his shoulder. "Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to eat my weight in cookies. Toga, can you go find Shinsou? I don't know where he disappeared to, but it shouldn't be hard to find him if you tell him we found a cat or something."

"Aye aye sir!" The blonde fake saluted, then started to text as she skipped away.

"Oh my god you really are evil." Dabi mocked.

The remaining two villains joined Momo and Inko at the table, taking their pick of desserts. After a slight moment of connecting the dots, many of the students gravitated towards the kind woman. All Might hovered nearby, adding to conversations when possible. A minute later, Toga was dragging Shinsou through the doorway.

"You said there were cats. Where the hell are the cats?"

"It was a logical ruse?" She said, question in her voice because she didn't quite know what else to say.

"Ughhhh. Stop dragging me into 1-A shit."

"There's food."

"You should have started with that."

Toga led him to the dining room, waving to Inko as she entered.

"Shinsou! Where'd you go?" Deku asked, snickering at his unintentional rhyme.

"You are so childish." He sighed. "You all left so I assumed that meant I was supposed to go home." Dabi just stared, eyebrows furrowed. "What? Is that not a normal thing to do?" Shinsou defended, seeing the taller guy's confused look.

"No, I still haven't gotten used to the fact that people we hang out with don't all live in the same few buildings. I really do not miss having Shigaraki disintegrate the wall between our rooms in his sleep. Not a pleasant experience to wake up and see his ugly face peering through a hole in the wall." He shuddered, pretending to gag. They all got a kick out of that, enjoying the shared hatred of their technical "group leader". In their joking, they had managed to be blind to the small green-haired woman watching with a tiny smile budding onto her face.
------------------------------

The overall 1-A, 1-V, and Shinsou were enjoying themselves immensely, almost enough to forget about their roles of heroes and villains. Sort of anyways.

"Inko-san, what was Deku like before... you know.." Uraraka asked, assuming that the villain was out of earshot. She was wrong. Inko flinched a little at the nickname 'Deku'. Bakugou saw this, and ducked his head.

"I doubt he's changed that much! He's always been super sweet and respectful. And a little frantic at times, but very confident in stressful situations." She caught her son's eye. "I have no doubt that he's asked about all of your quirks! He used to write hero analysis papers in his notebooks when he was younger. What did you call them?"

"...Hero Analysis for the Future..." Izuku mumbled quietly. Yaoyorozu and Iida shifted their stance, seeing the connection between Thursday's exercise and Deku's request for demonstrations of quirks.

"Who said he ever stopped? There are always papers scattered in the bar from his observations." Dabi contributed, then shoved another cookie into his mouth.

"Stop. It." Deku hissed under his breath.

The conversation promptly moved on until Inko remembered a coffee get together with one of her old coworkers. She packed up her empty containers and bid the teenagers farewell with friendly hugs and smiles. The moods of all in the room had been boosted, and All Might finally took it as his cue to leave as well. Everything in him told him to stay and talk to Izuku, but he couldn't do it. Let him enjoy the first weekend in the dorms. The hero kids will edge Izuku and the others around eventually. Or so All Might hoped.
-----------------------------------

The dark hours of the night approached quickly, shadows looming around every corner. Deku sat in silence, the only noise being the scratching of his pencil on paper. It worked across every line, filling in data from the quirk registry and his personal deductions. Some would call it obsession. He preferred 'the element of knowledge'. Not many others had the patience or organization abilities to create such a system, and Deku felt a bit of pride in that. He pulled out his phone, selecting a disguised contact to message.

(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside: Registry in progress. Hacking will begin soon. Quirk suppressers enabled w/remote. Will update soon.

Deku exited from the messages, deleted the record of the chat, and tossed his phone onto the night stand.
It won't be long until the day where Yuuei won't know what hit it.

Not long at all.

Chapter Text

The next week seemed bland in comparison to the arrival of the villains. The trio had finally started putting effort into their work as soon as they realized there was competition for the top spot. By far, Deku scored the highest on all tests, whether it was physical or mental. Dabi and Toga were in a heated battle, fighting for the second spot. Currently, Dabi held the position, which caused Toga to threaten him with kitchen knives.

Tsuyu had a close encounter during their warfare, where Toga proved that her threats weren't empty. Tsuyu had walked into the kitchen for a snack late afternoon, almost to be hit with a knife that had embedded itself in a nearby wall.

"Stand still Dabi! It'll be easier if you don't struggle!" Toga seethed, preparing another utensil to be aimed at Dabi's throat.

"Leave me alone! I'm too tired to deal with this bullshit today. If you want the second spot so bad, go kill Deku."

"I can't do that! Dekkun is my second favorite villain~! You on the other hand, are very disposable!" She toyed with the sharp end of the weapon. "I may not be able to use my quirk but I bet your blood will taste just as sweet!"

"You are fucked up. Like, really fucked up."

"Oh come on! As if you're one to talk Mr. "'I'm so edgy with my Daddy issues and hatred for the world'." Toga taunted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Tsuyu decided that she shouldn't spend more time in their presence, and went back the way she came.

"Oh Tsu-chan!" Toga called out, drawing the green-haired girl to the scene once again. "Have you seen Dekkun? He said there was a meeting today for 1-V and I just don't know where he is!"

"Uh... No...ribbit." She answered. "I don't think he left his room?"

"Mkay! Let's go Dabi! I haven't seen his room yet, is it cool?" The duo left, as if they hadn't been fighting a minute ago.
----------------
What's Up Bitches?

Here Come Dat Girl: I'm confused

Here Come Dat Girl: I don't know what to begin to think about Toga and Dabi

Defying Gravity: Don't worry, I feel the same

Here Come Dat Girl: No, you don't understand. Toga was literally about to murder Dabi and then she kinda just stopped?

Here Come Dat Girl: They started chatting like normal and went to go find Deku for a meeting or something.

BobRoss: What kind of meeting?

TapeDispenser: Probably an evil one

Surprise Bitch: You guys do realize we're here too, right?

BobRoss: Oh shit

Super Sonic Racing: Language!

Surprise Bitch: Fuck off you piece of motherfucking shit

Emo Birb: I would like to inform you all that Iida stopped breathing for a second there.

Knife Wife: Oooh~! Dabi, keep swearing! See if you can stop his breathing altogether!

Surprise Bitch: Aren't you forgetting what we're supposed to be doing?

Knife Wife: Oh yea!

Headphones In: Does this have anything to do with the crying I hear in the room above me?

Surprise Bitch: ?

Surprise Bitch: What crying?

Knife Wife: Aw look at Dabi being concerned!

Dabi stopped abruptly in the hall, Toga knocking into him.

"Why're you not moving?"

"When was the last time Deku went to see Sensei?" He asked slowly.

"Uhhh I don't know? A month ago maybe?"

"Shit." The boy took off running towards the elevator, smashing the up button as much as he could. Toga followed, her mind wasn't quite catching up with the situation.

"The elevator is going to take too long. Stairs. Now!" Dabi commanded, pushing past the blonde.

"What's the big deal?"

"Remember the last time Deku didn't visit Sensei for over a month? The memories?" He spit out between breaths. Toga gasped a little, picking up the pace of her strides.

"You really don't think it'll be like-"

"Do you want to take that risk?"
The villains sprinted up the stairs, silently grateful for the endurance training they had undergone. In their hurry, Dabi ended up knocking down two students, Toga purposely kicking Mineta as she passed.
A blood-curling scream erupted from down the hall.

"Deku.." Toga breathed, increasing her speed. A few 1-A students gathered around the door from which the scream had come from.

"Move it." Dabi pushed his way into the crowd, pressing his ear against the door. Nothing could be heard. He shook his head at Toga.

"Where's earphone girl?" Dabi demanded in question. None of the surrounding students had an answer.

-----

Surprise Bitch: Earbuds, get your ass to the 4th floor, now.

Headphones In: Why?

Surprise Bitch: Just get up here right now or we may just end up one student short.
-----

Jirou arrived in a hurry, panting. Toga and Dabi waited expectantly for her to catch her breath.

"Listen through the door with your quirk. Tell us what you hear. I tried to hear something but it's too quiet for me to pick up anything." Dabi motioned to the door, refusing to let on how important it was to get to Deku.

"Okay..?" Jirou reluctantly did as she was told. One of her earphone jacks dug itself into the wooden entrance.

"Whimpering. Whimpering and sniffling. Definitely crying." She reported, dislodging her earjack. Dabi ran a hand through his hair, looking to Toga for her input. She had none to give.

"Alright. Move it." He leaned in close to the door, knocking lightly as to not startle the boy within. "Deku? Open up, Shigaraki isn't here." Dabi waited for a response, only to realize he wasn't getting one. He twisted the doorknob but to his frustration, it was locked. He should have known better than to hope.

"Everybody back up, this could get a little messy." Dabi said grimly.

"You shouldn't be doing anything that is dangerous! At all!" Iida piped up, blocking the villain.

"You know what? Fuck off. You don't understand what's happening. You heroes never do, so get out of my way." Dabi poked the hero in the chest accusingly. Iida decided to step aside, despite the warning in his head. Toga nodded at Dabi to confirm the idea they shared. As she inspected the frame, Toga shared her observations.
"Wood frame, hinges open in, we both know the locks aren't deadbolts. Aim below or above the door knob."

"That's what I thought." The 1-V student nodded, setting himself less than a leg's length from the door. With a powerful kick, Dabi forced the entry open.

"Damn these things aren't that strong. Take note of that for later. Deku would like to know that at some point." The lights in the room were turned off. Though neither of the villains were quite as skilled in analyzing as Deku, they picked up a few minor things from the room.

Since the lights were off and nobody had seen Deku all day, it's safe to say that he had a nightmare and went into a panic. Dabi ventured farther into the room, careful to not disturb too many of the papers hanging from the ceiling. Toga stood watch at the opening, preventing the gaping teens from intruding. Deku was out of direct sight, but the older villain managed to locate his hiding spot under the desk. The green-haired boy was shaking, curled into a defensive ball. Dabi lowered himself onto the floor to meet his companion eye to eye. From previous experiences, he had learned to keep his hands out of sight, or at least away from the panicking boy.

"Hey... it's alright. He's not here. You're safe. Talk to me." The only response he received was labored breathing and tears spilling down Midoriya's cheeks. Sporadic sparks flickered from his hands with the increase in panic.

"Toga, his electricity overrode the suppressor." He called out carefully in an attempt to not startle the cowering teen any further. Toga turned to Iida with instructions.

"Go get Eraserhead! With Deku's emotions not in check there'll be a bunch of chaos." She made a face as if she was weighing her options. "We aren't exactly prepared for a quick getaway right now and we need him in a solid state of mind. Right now he's a danger to himself and others, whether he's aware of it or not." Iida looked as if he wanted to protest, but realized what could be at stake if he didn't get a teacher.

"Make it stop, please make it stop! The pain. Please I'm begging you. Make it stop..." Midoriya mumbled with urgency in his tone through the unrestrained anguish. His face contorted into emotions ranging from desperateness to complete and utter fear. It was like facing a cornered animal, trapped, alone, and afraid. It looked like the walls were closing in on him, every second suffocating all of his thoughts. The light in his eyes had faded into dark, quiet words spilling from his lips. The amount of worry shared by Toga and Dabi was unparalleled. They had seen Deku's worst episodes, and it had been nothing like this.
Toga joined Dabi on the floor, whispering to their friend.

"It's alright, it's all okay. You did nothing wrong, nobody's gonna hurt you, okay? Even if they tried, we'd stop them. Isn't that right Dabi?"

"Well duh."

Midoriya's whimpers were caught in his throat. He reached out a trembling hand to the duo, asking for reassurance. Toga brushed her fingers across his palms while Dabi lightly held the tips of Midoriya's fingers. The electricity had stopped, though the tears still rolled. A few minutes of mutual silence eventually coaxed Deku out of his hiding spot.

"I.. want to talk to Sensei..." the greenette croaked, his voice hoarse.

"I'm right here." The scruffy teacher leaned on the doorframe. Deku scrunched his nose in disgust.

"Not you. Our Sensei. He can fix this. Fix me. He can let me forget the pain and everything will be back to normal." He scratched at the skin on his shoulder anxiously.

"What he means to say, is that our Sensei uses a vocal quirk that blocks off pain associated with particularly traumatizing events. It only lasts a month or so at a time, and if it isn't renewed in time, the pain comes back double. Or at least that's what Toga and I have been told." Dabi redirected the conversation in an attempt to convince the teacher. "Even a phone call would be fine."

"And how do I know that you aren't going to exploit it as a chance to communicate with your leader?"

"Do you really think we would have asked for your help if it wasn't this serious?" Aizawa couldn't argue with that.

"It's up to Principal Nedzu. Do you think you can keep Deku calm while I contact him?" His sternness left no room for discussion. The students agreed and the teacher promptly left the room to make a call.

"What happened in your nightmare that made you so afraid?" Toga wondered out loud, covering her mouth after the fact. Dabi and Toga had both experienced Deku's panic attacks before and sort of knew the origin, but not exact details.

"The pain of disintegration is so much worse than you'd think. The ripping away of skin tissue, muscle, bone. All of it. Tearing at the seams." Deku said blankly. "A lot like my sanity I guess."

"Did you-"

"I already know what you're going to ask, and yes I was going to contact Sensei privately but his coded number was already in use. I didn't want anybody to track it. I was paranoid. Still am. I figured I'd wait it out, but then the pain got worse." He paused to take a deep breath. "It felt like my right side was torn off of the rest of my body." A shiver ran down his back, reliving the memory a million times in a single moment. "It still hurts but I can move. That's all that matters."

"Dekkun! You shouldn't be up and about if you're still in pain. Maybe we can find some medicine!" Toga scolded with her hands on her hips.

"I hate to say it, but she's right. You shouldn't dismiss the panic attack you just had for the sake of pretending to be fine." Dabi agreed.

Aizawa returned to the room shortly afterwards.

"The principal has decided to allow you to have a call with your leader, but it must be supervised by him and All Might in his office. I hope your Sensei enjoys FaceTime." Toga had to stifle her cackling in time to respectfully respond to the pro hero.

"Of course. Whatever will help Deku!" On their way to the office, Dabi and Toga had to take turns leading Deku through breathing exercises to keep him calm. At times, it became obvious that the pain was spiking again with a slight favoritism of his left leg. In the room there was a large screen connected to a computer cable. All Might stood in the corner (in his normal form) holding a cup of tea.

"Welcome. I've set up a laptop on the desk over there where you can call your boss. It must be video call for the sake of supervision." Nedzu explained, his aura becoming more tense.

"On the way here he gave us a number to use for this call, so don't worry about it." Dabi said, sliding into the desk chair. It didn't take long for his typing to end, and for the tv screen to flicker on.

"Sensei!" Deku cried out, placing himself front and center in front of the tv. The camera focused on the deformed figure of All for One. Wires ran from IVs into the undefined shape of his head with a face only a mother could love.

All Might choked on his drink, dropping the cup. In an instant he transformed back to his Hero form.

"All for One." He growled low and deep.

"One for All. It's a pleasure to see you again."

Chapter Text

-Approximately 13 months ago-

"Take a swan dive off the roof and hope with all of your might that you're born with a quirk in your next life!"

Emptiness.
Such a word fills so much space, for it was all Midoriya could feel. He leaned over the window sill, his stomach aching at the long distance from the ground. Midoriya's notebook sank to the bottom of the koi pond, his hard work ruined. For what? The satisfaction of a hot-headed bully? Or for the pendulum of infinite possibilities to swing into action?

The roof seemed like an escape of which he did not know the destination. Once again, he peered over the side. Oh how easy it would be to end it. How easy it would be to let Bakugou regret his every word. Midoriya stepped away, battling his dark wishes. Part of him still wanted to be a good person after all.

With a heavy heart and clouded thoughts, Midoriya kept on walking. Eventually he made his way down to the ground and picked up his scorched and soaked notebook. His place in the world was below those who had power. 80% of the population would grow and grow until he was a anomaly. A 1% abnormality for people to laugh and mock day in and day out. It wouldn't stop him from being a hero, if he really tried.

It was like the heavens were just calling for him to have a day full of misfortune. While passing under the tunnel on his way home, a sludge villain burst up from the sewage drain.

"Oh look what we have here! A medium sized invisibility cloak!" The creature cackled in delight as it wrapped itself around Midoriya. The teenager kicked and clawed at the liquid that would soon suffocate him. But what could a quirkless kid really do? Even though he had stood on that roof, and was given another chance to end it, he fought. He didn't have much but he struggled until his arms went numb.

"Don't worry young citizen! I am here!" A booming voice echoed through the tunnel, causing the villain to loosen his grip.

"Shit, I didn't know he'd be around. My informant was wrong." It cursed. All Might took this chance to send a powerful punch that threw Midoriya across the ground, and blew away the sludge villain. Midoriya's vision was hazy, his ears ringing.

"Oh good! You're awake!" The hero greeted with a sigh of relief. "Sorry for catching you in the crossfire!"

"A-All M-Might?"

"Everything is all right now! The villain has been contained, and I'll be delivering it to the police." He showed off the plastic bottles that held the gooey substance of the sludge. "If there is no further trouble, I'll be on my way!" He turned, preparing to launch himself into the air. Midoriya froze. "Reach out!" His mind told him. "Don't let go of this chance!" There are many alternate paths that could have originated from this singular moment. A major tipping point in events.

"Wait!"

"I cannot wait!" The hero responded easily. Midoriya's blood began to heat up. Dismissed. He was shooed off like a fly. How many times had All Might done the same to others? The teenager ran forward and tugged on his idol's arm.

"Please! I have only one question!"

"I really can't stay." The adult chuckled nervously. "But make it quick!"

"A-all I've ever wanted to be is a hero!" Midoriya started, his eyes trained on the ground. "But I-"

"I'm sure you'd be a great hero!"

"But I'm quirkless... I've been through more than my share of bullying, and I know it's stupid to hope, but can I still be a hero if I don't have a quirk?" He refused to look up, he knew he'd only be met with an expression of pity. When there had been no answer, he finally returned his gaze to the now shriveled form of All Might.

"Why? Why is it me? Always me! Of course I'd be the one to run into an imposter!" Midoriya groaned, tears brimming in his eyes. All Might cautiously observed their surroundings, making sure no one else was around.

"I'm not a fake. I'm the real All Might. You know how guys will flex at the beach to seem more athletically appealing? It's basically like that." He lifted a corner of his shirt to reveal the large purple and red injury that spread across his torso. "An injury 5 years ago left me unable to sustain my hero form for more than a couple hours. Don't go telling any of your friends or spreading it on social media."

"What friends? Nobody wants to be friends with a quirkless guy. It's like asking to be pushed around." Midoriya muttered, his emotions dropping to the ground. It only took one more final blow to seal the deal.

"With that, I cannot honestly say that you can become a hero. It's dangerous to even attempt without a quirk. You could still join the police or firemen though. They're ridiculed for being delivered villains on a daily basis, but it's an honorable profession!"

There it was. The flap of a butterfly's wing causes a tornado halfway across the world. One chain of events, slightly altered, leading to an entirely different destiny. All Might managed to change back into his hero form for just long enough to spring into flight. With that he was gone, and so was Midoriya's happy ending.

------------------------

-Present Day-

"Sensei! Why didn't you remind me that your quirk was going to wear off?"

"You usually remember." All for One said, raising an eyebrow. Or what would be considered that if he actually had eyebrows.

"I was kinda busy being forced to live at a hero school. No thanks to you." Deku groaned impatiently drumming his fingers against the side of the couch. Pain flared in his shoulder once again, shown by the contortion of his face. Visible relief flashed in Deku's dark eyes once All For One activated his quirk.

"If there is nothing else, then this call is over." Nedzu concluded, reaching for the button.

"If you would be so kind, I'd like to send my strategist in training a parting gift. I see that look One For All is giving me, but it's merely a recording of my quirk so Deku may rest easy in the future. I promise."

"A villain's promise means nothing." All Might seethed, his emotions getting control of his better judgment.

"Are you sure it's not because I was responsible for your master's death?" He countered, little interest in his tone.

"You-" The hero started angrily.

"All Might!" Nedzu scolded. "Calm yourself!"

"I think Shigaraki is rubbing off on you too much, Sensei." Dabi retorted, laughing.

"Maybe so. I will be signing off, if there are any problems, you know how to contact me." With that, the screen flickered off, leaving them all in silence. A swirling purple portal opened in the middle of the room. Deku plunged his hand into the mist, and a DVD case flew into the room. The teen stuck his head through the portal.
"FUCK YOU TOO SHIGARAKI!" He shouted, causing his fellow companions to double over in laughter. Once the portal disappeared, Deku continued his rant.
"When will that son of a bitch learn to grow up?"

"I don't think you're one to talk Dekkun!" Toga retorted. Dabi subconsciously let go of the tension in his shoulders. Deku was fine. It was like it hadn't even happened. But looks can be deceiving, and even the brightest smiles can hide the truth.

"What's even on the DVD? Other than Sensei's quirk thing." Dabi asked. Deku tapped on the case lightly, almost in a trance-like state.

"Just a little something special. It'll come in handy soon." He grinned wickedly, the glow in his face returned. The heroes stiffened and eyed the DVD with caution.
-------------------------

The greenette seemed back to normal, but there was a noticeable difference in how he held himself around All Might. Instead of his usual look of hatred, he wore a smirk that practically screamed that Deku knew something All Might didn't. Others would merely assume it was a boost in confidence. Or at least they did until a specific announcement in their homeroom class.

"The sports festival? That's the biggest event of the year! Everybody watches it!" Hagakure squealed in delight.

"Ouì, it is sure to be a bright stage to stand on!" Aoyama commented with a dramatic pose.

"Aizawa, we're allowed to participate, correct?" Deku asked, referencing to 1-V.

"Yes, but as you know, any sign of trouble will get you disqualified." The teacher said, zipping up his yellow sleeping bag. "Wake me up when class is over."

"This is gonna be awesome!" Deku exclaimed.

"Jeez, why're you so excited? I thought you'd hate this stuff." Dabi crossed his arms.

"Think about it rationally, Dabi! Oh wait, don't hurt yourself trying." He teased. "We all know that thousands of people will be watching, so can you imagine what would happen if one or all of us placed in the top three?"

"Knowing your style, it'd be chaos."

"That's what makes it fun!" Toga clapped with enthusiasm.

"But what about Shinsou? I have no doubt he'll make it past the first round somehow." The taller boy shrugged.

"We know his quirk, and all of the 1-A quirks, we know what to expect. We can guarantee Shinsou a spot in the second or third round, but if it comes down to it, our victory has to be endgame." Deku explained, animatedly moving his hands around as if conducting. "But for now, we observe and figure out the talents of the other classes. Maybe if we win, Sensei will take us back and get us out of this hellhole."

"Hey! Are you guys hyped for the Sports Festival?" Kirishima burst in, Kaminari in tow.

"Of course! It's my favorite thing to watch each year! Sensei even enlisted me to write a report on the best parts!" Deku gushed with very little sarcasm.

"Wait you guys actually watch it?" The electric teen asked.

"Yea? It's open for any TV?" Toga squinted, as if trying to find the reasoning behind Kaminari's underlying assumption. The heroes in training shared a look of slight concern at the fact that any villain could learn about their quirks and the implications that went with it.

"Oh come on, you really can't be that stupid, can you?" Deku groaned. "We have some of the best hackers and undercover agents and we don't need any of them to gather intel on the top students of Yuuei!"

"Well, who do you think is going to win?" The red head tilted his head in question.

"Oh my god don't get him started."

"Well, if it's down to overall power ability, it would be Kacchan, Todoroki, Dabi, or me. Strategy wise, most likely Shinsou, Yaoyorozu or me. It's really a toss-up depending on-" Deku jumped into his analyzing state, his words condensing into muttering.

"Look what you've done! He's going to be worked up about this for the next week. You ruined a perfectly good villain, how dare you." Dabi jabbed his companion in the back, snapping the younger out of his thoughts.

"I don't think the words "good" and "villain" belong together in a sentence." Kirishima laughed before dragging Kaminari back to the rest of their squad.

"They'll be lucky to even make it past the qualifier." Deku dropped his previously friendly nature into a more serious and calculating manner. He really was the king of mood swings, or at least that was what Dabi continued to believe.

"We'll make it all the way to the top spots! Can we make it a free for all once we've secured that we'll all be on the podium?" Toga suggested eagerly.

"Of course. Who doesn't need a little incentive to make it more interesting? We have three weeks until the festival, and we will be training every single day that we have time. Hand to hand combat is a work in progress for Dabi, and Toga you need to work on range. I'll be working on anything and everything to improve my skills. Shinsou could use some lessons too, so we should invite him at some point."

"And when we aren't training, we're getting information?" Dabi said, as he has heard this speech a hundred times.

"Exactly."
The world had not been kind to the trio, nor will it ever be. Now, it was their time to shine and all eyes would be pinned on them. Whether in hatred or with admiration, everybody would hear of the villains who bested the next generation of heroes.
---------------------------

Bakugou slammed his door shut in a huff. He flung his bag onto his bed and sat down at his messy desk. Explosions flickered in his hands, his anger rising to the surface.

"That bastard thinks he can show up here and act so high and mighty as a goddamn villain!" He cursed, forcefully pushing papers and books to the floor in a hefty crash. "This sports festival will be my victory! That shitty nerd won't take this from me!" A vision of Deku with his taunting smirk danced in his mind. A gold medal swung just out of his grasp.

You see, not only did Deku's path change drastically from one choice, but Bakugou's as well. He may not have become a villain, nor does he plan to be, but just how deep are the wounds of the past? What could have changed? What could have happened for this all to have gone right? It's a question that Bakugou would never have an answer to. A question that Deku would never ask. In a world of heros versus villains, who truly wins? And who pays the price?

Only the future could be the judge of that.

Chapter Text

"FUCKING HELL SHINSOU WHEN DID YOU LEARN TO DO AN UPPERCUT?"

"Around the same time I realized you could kill me in my sleep. Not that I don't welcome the opportunity, but I want to at least make it to the festival." Deku spit on the ground, tiny blood spatters going with it.

"Deku baby! Give me the blood! Please!" Toga stopped fighting Dabi for a moment. He utilized her distractedness to throw her to the ground.

"You see, this is why you can't have nice things. Maybe if you win the Sports Festival, but the chances of that are about as slim as Dabi learning to stop being a bitch."

"Okay that was a low blow, even for you shorty." Dabi pinned Toga's arm behind her back.

"Fuck off, I'm not that short!" Deku yelled. "Fight me!"

"I will!" Dabi let go of Toga's wrist and charged at Deku, fire blazing. Deku did the same, metal bone-like weapons protruding from his arms. The moment of impact, a great explosion was to be expected, however there was only a lame sound of fist hitting fabric.

"You guys are like children." Shinsou laughed at the confusion on the two boy's faces. Toga rolled around in the grass, clutching her stomach. The rest of the teens lay down, resting their aching muscles while still enjoying themselves to the best of their ability. The past weeks had been crammed with homework and training, and there had been noticeable improvement from all of them. Although Deku would never admit it, he was thankful for the time to fight his colleagues in a more open capacity. They'd always had to limit the usage of their quirks, as Dabi's fire was the least inconspicuous quirk to ever exist, and Deku's weren't much better.

The final days before the festival came in a whirlwind of uncertainty for all but the top students.
----------------------

The day of the event, fireworks and confetti littered the sky, immense excitement building for the students of Yuuei. Every seat in the stadium was filled, and hundreds of thousands were preparing to watch the festival on their tv.
It was a show not to be missed.

Class 1-A entered the mega dome first, earning wild applause and cheers. Only to be expected for the class who faced villains and made it out alive. The courses that followed received similar treatment, with Shinsou leading Gen Ed onto the field.

"Our final class to welcome to the Sports Festival is 1-V!" Present Mic announced, preparing for the expected backlash. A loud rumble of "boo's" echoed through the stadium. The classes watched expectantly for the trio to make their entrance.

Deku led the way, arms spread wide as if to tell the world "I'm here!". Dabi and Toga kept behind him, almost like bodyguards.

"I wish I had sunglasses. It would make this look so much cooler!" Toga crossed her arms, flashing her sharp teeth in a grin.

"Shut up and keep walking." Dabi muttered.

"Don't get your panties in a twist. Remember our strategy." Deku reminded, revealing nothing in his glance into the audience. His eyes caught on the flaming hero standing in the very back of an aisle.
"Just as I thought. Looks like daddy is going to watch more than one son today."

"This'll be fun! How do you think he'll react to your speech?"

"We both know how he'll react and it'll be glorious." Deku chuckled, seeing the enlarged video of him and his companions walking to the stage. Toga and Dabi halted at the stairs as the leader continued.

"Now we will have a few words from our two Class reps, Bakugou Katsuki, and Midoriya Izuku!" Present Mic projected with his usual energy. Bakugou and Deku shared a look, the latter tilting his chin up to give the feeling of "looking down" on his opponent. Midnight first gave the microphone to Bakugou, who donned a ever-present scowl.

"I pledge," he started, class 1-A holding their breath. "That I will be number one."

"I knew he was going to do that!

"Everybody is gonna hate us even more now!" The class complained. Deku knew Bakugou was being serious, but the heroes in training broke the tension. Even despite their slowly emerging anxiety and nervousness. The blonde forcefully shoved the microphone into Deku's hands, leaving the stage immediately after. Toga stuck her tongue out at him as he passed. Deku faced the judgmental eyes of society, not with his prior weakness, but with the strong and daunting emotions of a criminal. The stage was set for his success.

"I hope all of you take a good, long look at me and my associates. Memorize the names, memorize the faces. For we will be the victors, and show you exactly what the future of heroes and villains will amount to. Let the games begin, am I right?" His speech was met with outrage. Only to be expected when a villain is boasting about being able to win surrounded by the upcoming heroes-to-be. Deku did a mic-drop, much to Midnight's alarm. The teachers had learned to not drop a mic connected to loud speakers in a giant arena the hard way. An instant before impact, the mic started to float back to its stand. Deku rejoined Toga and Dabi, barely paying attention to the minor use of his levitation-related quirk.

"Well then," Midnight laughed nervously, regaining her train of thought. "How about we introduce the qualifying event?" Cheers filled the stadium.

"The prelim will be a 4 kilometer obstacle course! Only a certain amount of people will be able to continue on, so don't fall far behind!" The first years set up at the starting line, anticipation weaving its way through the minds of all participants and onlookers.

"Shinsou, you ready?" Deku inquired, having located the Gen Ed student.

"As much as I can be."

"Just a warning, but I'm guessing there won't be many human elements other than students to control. If anything, get Todoroki or Kacchan to respond to you and get them to stop moving. I have no doubt it'll be disrupted fairly quickly, but even a few seconds can be a game changer."

"And what makes you think I won't betray you?" Shinsou asked.

"Many reasons. Beneficial if you don't, I can make your life living hell, I'm one of your only friends, we have a common goal, the list goes on and on."

"I think I've beat you to making my life hell."

"Touché."

A gunshot signaled the start of the race. The tunnel that led out to the obstacles turned out to be quite narrow and difficult to navigate in the hurried competition. The villain trio shoved their way through the crowd, pushing and tripping anyone who got in their way. After all, why play by the rules of someone else's game? A majority of the first runners out were 1-A or 1-V. Todoroki held the lead, closely followed by Dabi and Bakugou. Toga and Deku trailed behind enough to keep up, but far enough to be prepared for any obstacle that was to be thrown at them.

Green robots labeled with numbers ranging from 0 to 3 came full throttle at the competitors. Bakugou easily destroyed any of the ones that got in his way with his explosions. Todoroki froze the machinery as he passed, while others similarly relied on their quirks to get by. Though he was aching to use his power, Dabi refrained from attacking, and let others show off their quirks. All for observation, Deku had said. It pissed him off. Why not show the heroes their place?

"Tut-tut Dabi! You've gotten slower!" Deku chimed, running at an equal pace.

"Oh fuck off, would ya?"

"Your wish is my command!" The green-haired boy increased his speed, dragging Toga along. A gang of 0 point robots blocked the way. Class A students immediately jumped into action, Todoroki using his ice to freeze three of them as they were about to attack. He calmly sprinted by, not even sparing a look back.

"Hey! He cleared a path for the rest of us!" One class B student exclaimed.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you! He froze them off balance and they'll come crashing down!" Deku yelled as he electrocuted one of the bots. It gave enough of an opening for the villains and Shinsou, who was slowly but surely gaining a lead. The frozen robot crashed to the ground, seemingly crushing two students underneath. It only took a minute for Kirishima and Tetsutetsu to claw their way through the hunk of metal.

"If it had been anybody but me, they woulda been killed!" They said in unison, warily doing a once-over of each other.
The action continued, with the audience watching intently. Cheers and applause erupted every once in a while when something impressive was done. Nearby, a 2 point bot was smashed into pieces, one of its arm shields clattering to the ground.
"Toga! Pick it up! It might be useful!" Deku commanded, not stopping. Toga swept the metal off the ground, struggling to keep it from interfering with her running. Eventually, she transferred it into the hands of Deku, who had a much easier time handling it.

Meanwhile, Dabi and Todoroki were having a mid-run fight. This mostly consisted of Dabi taunting his younger brother. From the stands, Endeavor watched with a scowl brimming on his face. His eyes stayed glued on his prized masterpiece. He refused to accept that there was any villain that could even compare to the strength of his creation. If only he recognized the son he'd abandoned.

The first group of students approached the second obstacle in the race. Deku stopped near the edge of the expanse of canyon and platforms, analyzing each pathway. Toga paced impatiently behind him.

"We don't have time for this!"

"I'm trying to hurry, but maybe if you shut up for once, then maybe, just maybe, we can get something done!" Deku snapped. The pressure was getting to his head. Bakugou made up for his previous set back by controlling his explosions well enough to maneuver through the air across the platforms. Dabi rejoined his fellow villains, unhappily watching as Todoroki started his trek with ease. More and more competitors had caught up and without hesitation, they used their quirks to continue on.

"Back to where we started, huh?" Dabi huffed.

"Well, I guess the only place to go when you've hit rock bottom-"

Deku dragged his teammates to the edge of the cliff. Even with the hunk of metal under his left arm, he managed to convince Toga to follow him. In a swift motion he jumped, bringing the other two down with him. They were free falling, the ground rushing to meet them. Dabi struggled to pull Deku's hand away from his jacket.

"Is up!"

Chapter Text

"What do these kids think they're doing?!" Present Mic exclaimed. "It looks like they have jumped off the ledge, but if they hit the ground, THEY ARE OUT!"

Aizawa eyed the screen, focused on the villains warily. He couldn't figure out what must be going through their heads to drive them to jump off a cliff. Much less with a useless hunk of metal that surely had to weigh them down. Upon closer observation it seemed as though Dabi and Toga were struggling against Deku. The strategist dragged them into it. That makes things more interesting, though he wouldn't be one to admit it.
------------------

"LET ME GO YOU LITTLE FUCKER!" Dabi clawed at the hand that restrained him.

"Do you want to lose? No? Then I'll hold on." Deku sneered. The ground approached, and just barely before the villains could shatter their bones, the tide changed. Quite literally.

Water shot through the rock below, catching the trio and lifting them back into the race at record speed. Deku maneuvered the geyser into a position that would send them flying to the other side.

"What is this?!? It looks like Midoriya is finally showing off his quirk!" Present Mic announced, wildly gesturing to the screen.

"Looking good, Katara." Toga smirked.

"Shut up."

"Why the fuck didn't you just do it at the launch pad?"

"I said shut up!" Deku's voice became strained, his hands shaking. "I couldn't get ahold of the water from up there, and it's easy to be dehydrated from the quirk. I couldn't overextend myself too much. Now if you two are done bitching, then we have a race to win." Using the hunk of metal he'd saved, he braced himself against the heavy stream of water that launched them across the canyon. The villains passed Bakugou midair, with Deku using a tiny sliver of his quirk to extinguish his explosions. Granted, it was only for a second, but the blonde dropped a couple feet, skimming the edge of a platform.

"DIE YOU SHITTY NERD!"

"I would if I could, Kacchan." The teen muttered as he kept his focus on the trek in front of him.

"The 1-V deviants, Shouto Todoroki and Bakugou Katsuki have pulled ahead! This is going to be a close race, so these kids better keep their eyes on the prize!" Present Mic yelled. "What do you think, Eraserhead?"

"I think you need to shut up and watch."

"Harsh as always! But let's get back to the action, shall we?"

Aizawa rolled his eyes, which were still sore from how many times he's had to prevent Dabi and Toga from attacking students. One thing that never escaped his attention was that Deku hadn't been the attacker in any of the near-assaults. He merely watched as his associates did the dirty work. In the case of whether that was resourceful or downright evil, Aizawa could not be the judge. Present Mic payed no mind to the dark and brooding teacher next to him. Commentating on a match where the once-villains seemed to be pulling ahead was a challenge. The energetic hero brightened up once the contestants had made their way to the next obstacle.

"Here we have the minefield! Watch your step!" Present Mic laughed. "Don't worry too much though, these mines were regulated for school use and don't do too much damage, but they can still serve as a major setback! Let's see how the front runners deal with this challenge!"

"School approved explosives. That definitely sounds legal." Dabi scoffed sarcastically.

"Since when have you cared what's legal?" Deku joked, nearly falling over from the following punch aimed at him.

Bakugou and Todoroki had passed the villains once again. It's a shame that Bakugou couldn't control his temper long enough to avoid conflict. The blonde shoved his hand into Todoroki's face, setting off blinding explosions.

Deku stopped at the outside of the minefield, taking a moment to observe the situation objectively. It would be smart to be careful and take the time it required to pass the section, but first place would escape too quickly if he did that. He really should have talked to Sensei about acquiring a flying quirk. Once that thought passed through his head, the pieces clicked together.

"Dabi, do you think you can be like a rocket and get across?"

"Probably. It'd be difficult to control the longer I'm in the air."

"Would you be able to carry Toga with you?"

"Did you hear a word I just said? Using both hands with pure fire doesn't give enough control and maybe not enough power. And you're asking me to use one hand! You know how heavy Toga is!"

"I'm right here you know!" Toga whined

"How could I ever forget?" Dabi sighed. "I can try but I don't think it'll be enough to get us at the front of the pack with the pace of explodo-kill and Todoroki."

"That's fine. Just go." Deku shooed them away.

"What about you?"

"I have a plan."

"Yea yea we all know where your plans got us." Dabi said as Toga jumped onto his back. He used his left hand to support her weight, and set off intense fire with his right. Once enough pressure had built, the two were off, rather clumsily.

"It seems as though Dabi and Toga have come up with a strategy of spiraling through the air! It looks like Toga is a hitchhiker though..." Present Mic commentated. "Are they leaving Midoriya behind? Actually, what is he doing?!"

"Here goes nothing." Deku muttered. He ran forward, holding his piece of scrap metal as a swimmer would hold a floaty. After he had propelled himself forward enough, Deku threw himself and the metal at the pile of explosives he'd gathered.

Bakugou turned at the glimpse of the billowing pink smoke that erupted from the explosion at the back of the pack.

"What the.."

"HOLY SHIT IT ACTUALLY WORKED!" Deku's screaming interrupted. The green-haired teen and his shield had cleared the air, clearing the field in an instant.

"MIDORIYA HAS CAUGHT UP! DABI AND TOGA AREN'T FALLING BEHIND EITHER! WHAT WILL THE FIRST AND SECOND PLACE DO TO HOLD ONTO THEIR SPOTS?"

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? HUH?" Bakugou sprinted even faster, forgetting about the previous rival. Todoroki used his ice to create a straight run for him, without worry of the explosions. He knew it would create a path for the others, but that didn't matter at the moment.

Deku's calculations never stopped, even 20 feet above the ground, which was getting closer and closer.

"I didn't think about stopping. This is going to be a rough landing. Unless..." his thoughts trailed into action. In one swift movement, he pulled the metal over his head by one of the attached cords. His feet pushed into the backs of Todoroki and Bakugou. With this base he was able to slam the sheet of metal into the ground. A large explosion followed, sending Deku into the final stretch of the race. His balance was quickly regained as Bakugou and Todoroki pushed their way out of the smoke. Dabi and Toga had landed near them, and so it became a race to the finish line.

"HERE WE ARE! WHO'S GOING TO BE THE FRONT RUNNER?" Present Mic exclaimed. The audience was on the edge of their seats, anticipating the winner. "THE FIRST ONE OUT OF THE TUNNEL IS... MIDORIYA IZUKU!"

Deku was greeted by confetti and applause. It seemed like they'd all forgotten who the enemy is. It wouldn't be long until they remembered.

"FOLLOWED BY... BAKUGOU KATSUKI!" The teacher continued. "THIRD PLACE IS GONNA BE A CLOSE CALL! Todoroki and Dabi are neck and neck! And it looks like..." he paused. "DABI BARELY CLAIMED THIRD PLACE! Let's take a look at the instant replay."
The monitors reversed back a couple seconds to show the moment the two crossed the line. Dabi had reached his arm out to cross the line before the rest of him did. This meant that he'd technically beaten Todoroki without having to be quite as fast, though he'd probably say he could have done it anyways. There were a few calls of protest saying that it wasn't fair.

"IT MAY SEEM CHEAP, BUT IT'S NOT AGAINST THE RULES. THIS PUTS TODOROKI IN FOURTH PLACE, FOLLOWED BY TOGA WHO CLAIMS FIFTH!"
The next 37 students ended their run with a sense of victory, though none of them were happy to see 1-V being their childish selves again.

"Shinsou! Congrats on 20th place!" Toga cheered enthusiastically.

"Yea..thanks." He shrugged nonchalantly. Deku could detect a bit of surging emotions in his voice, betraying his cool nature. Deku smiled a little at his friend. Maybe if he'd found a way to help Shinsou out, he would have made it to the top 10 with them. But it was too late to be concerned with it. Instead, they enjoyed the bit of free time they earned in between matches.

"Gather round for the announcement of the second game!" Midnight said, standing on her podium once again. "You might need to call in the cavalry for this one! What might it be? I've already said it!" She pulled the lever next to the mega screen. The randomizer spun past all the options before settling on the planned event. In vibrant green lights, the words "cavalry battle" shone.

"A team event?" A student wondered out loud.

"Of course! It's important for a hero to work with others despite quirk compatibility!" Midnight explained. "Now to the rules! This cavalry battle is pretty similar to a normal one, where you will have 3 or 4 members on a team. One of which will be the designated rider while the others are the horses. How you decide this is up to you. Now the main part is that each person is assigned a point value that will be on a headband for the rider to wear. You may have it on your forehead or around your neck. The top four teams by the end of the 15 minutes will go on to the battle bracket! Understood?"

The students yelled in affirmation.
"Now here is the distribution of points!"

Deku skimmed all the way to the top where his name stood out. Right next to 10 million points. It should have intimidated him but instead he just laughed and felt pity for those who would aim to bring him down. He already had the perfect team and strategy. It was only a matter of how he played his pieces in this game of power and logic.

Chapter Text

Dozens of eager eyes trained in on Deku. 10 million points was all they saw. Oh how they would regret it. However it was probably for the best as everybody left him alone to find a team that could steal the top spot from him. It gave him the chance to conspire with his teammates. Or at least until a pink haired girl started pestering him.

"Hi! I'm Hatsume Mei! From the support class! Let me be on your team! It would be such good advertising for my devices!"

"And I care because..?" Deku said with an eye roll.

"Well..Uh.. my babies are really handy and could help you win!"

"I don't need-" he stopped himself, realizing it might be good to earn brownie points with the support class. "As exciting as that sounds, I think I have my team figured out. After the Sports Festival I'd love to see your.. babies." Hatsume did not seem completely content with the response, but the promise of having a test subject made the encounter worthwhile.
Eventually she wandered off and joined up with a group of 1-B students, leaving the villains and Shinsou to their planning.

Iida felt bad a little bad for abandoning Uraraka to join Todoroki. There was an aura of regret and some unknown sense of emptiness when she had asked him to join her, but he had never been one to deal with the energetic classmates. He was going to win this in any way possible, all to make his brother proud.

Uraraka wandered aimlessly through the crowd of students forming teams. She wished she could find a familiar face somewhere. Mina had already teamed up with Bakugou, and he hadn't given Uraraka another look. If she was lucky she'd be able to team up with Tsuyu and someone else that had also been excluded. Every once in a while she would find herself absentmindedly staring at the villains. Deku was probably the least terrifying of them by looks alone. If he had been in Yuuei on normal circumstances, perhaps things could have been different between them. She laughed to herself. Who was she kidding? There's no way she'd be friends with a strange guy like him. She had better judgement than that.

"Team building time is up! Let's hope you're all ready to go! The match will start in three..."

"You ready for this?" Green eyes met gold ones.

"Two!"

"I was born ready."

"One!"
----------------------
(Elsewhere)

"Shigaraki Tomura, Sensei has requested that you meet a well known villain we would like to recruit into our ranks." Kurogiri said as he cleaned an empty glass.

"And who would that be?"

"Take a look for yourself."
The door opened, and a lanky figure decorated with knives marched in. His famous red scarf and worn out mask lay still with lack of movement. Shigaraki tapped on the bar counter, contemplating what to say for a moment.

"Hero Killer, Stain, I presume?"

--------------------------

Teams rushed for the group of villains and Shinsou. Toga sat as the rider, which left the heavy hitters of Dabi and Deku on the wings and Shinsou in the front. Midoriya had some conflict over whether to put Dabi or Shinsou as the front runner. Dabi would be able to attack and block the front, but ran the risk of hitting the wings if he tried to aim anywhere else. On the side, however, he could keep one hand fully available and lessen the risk of interfering with the team. Shinsou was a weaker block with his only weapon being a question and answer, but it would work against those who struggle to keep their mouths shut, such as Bakugou and Monoma.

"Everyone is making a mad dash for the one million points, as expected!" Present Mic announced.

"Let's get started shall we? Dabi, Dekkun, fire! Shinsou, be careful not to burn!" Toga said, still battling the urge to see how fluffy the Gen Ed teen's hair was. Not the right time. Walls of flame shot up around all but the front of the team to ward off challengers.

"A defensive play by Team Toga! Quite impressive if I do say so myself!" The event's narrator jumped in. A sigh of relief escaped Toga's lips. Nobody had noticed yet. This plan might just work.

"Now, run!"

"Isn't that exactly how we ended up in this shitty school in the first place?" Dabi groaned.

"Yes, but who gives a damn? Not me!" The rider exclaimed.

"This is exactly how we got caught."

"Focus!" Deku snapped. It pained Toga to watch how badly he was attempting not to smile.

"Knock it off you idiot!" She flicked his head.

"Guys, incoming!" Shinsou yelled. Bakugou had launched from his chariot and come flying for the villain team. Midoriya looked to Toga for a signal. While staying straight-faced, she put her hands into the shape of a heart. He threw one of his hands out, and lightning barely missed Bakugou's chest. Sero's tape shot out, bringing the explosive teen back to the team.

"He missed." Bakugou growled.

"What do you think of the warning shot?" Shinsou called out, discretely using one of his hands to snap loud enough for Bakugou to hear. Deku had suggested using a visual cue for his brainwashing to cover the actual initiator for his quirk. For all the time this guy managed to slip into Class 1-A events, Bakugou had never taken the time to figure out his quirk.

"Fuck off!"

A dark smile crossed the Gen Ed student's face. Just over a minute had passed and they already had the blonde hook, line, and sinker.
"Then perish." Shinsou laughed. "Throw yourself at Todoroki Shouto."

"I'm glad you specified." Dabi rolled his eyes.

"I've had a few incidents with loopholes in my quirk. I'd rather not deal with that in front of a live audience."

A blank-faced Bakugou broke free of the tape holding him to his team. His explosions tore through the air as he locked onto his designated target.

"Yell as you would normally do." Shinsou commanded.

"DIE YOU HALF AND HALF BASTARD!"

"This is the best day of my life." Toga laughed.

"I am so glad we're friends." Midoriya said, gasping for air after the wonderful sight. Bakugou had almost crashed directly into Todoroki, but was blocked by a shield that Momo had created in time. It's a shame that Bakugou didn't fall, thanks to the last second save by Sero.

The next 20 minutes passed with very few hiccups. The fire barricade forced all of their opponents to face them from the front, and combined with Deku's ability to use more than one quirk, they were a well oiled machine. The only problem they'd encountered so far had been Bakugou, but once Monoma got involved, the brute was easily distracted with revenge.

"He'd make a great villain." Dabi concluded.

"I wonder if Sensei has a brainwashing quirk." Toga tugged at a piece of her hair that had fallen from her messy buns. Shinsou wanted to point out the inconsiderate nature of the remark, but shut himself down before saying anything. Only one was able to gauge his reaction. It's one that Deku experienced too many times before.

"Incoming!" shouted Dabi, who had actually been paying attention. Team Todoroki was taking the offensive to rush for the 10 million points. Team Toga took this as a sign to run while they had the chance. Losing was not an option for them.

"I see dear ole' dad is in the stands! Is he here to see his artwork on display?" Dabi yelled out, hoping to provoke the enemy into doing something stupid. Todoroki's eyes frosted over. Definitely hit a nerve. Again.

"Dek- I mean Toga, punch Dabi in the head for me! Don't go patronizing the poor little Yuuei kids!" Midoriya said, just loud enough for the people nearby to hear.

"I dunno man, if anything I think the son of the number two hero is looking down on everybody, not just the villains. I mean, have you seen him? He isn't event using his fire!" Toga replied lazily.

A few class B groups turned on Team Todoroki with a newfound taste for unneeded revenge.

"What's this? Team Tetsutetsu and Team Monoma seem to be attacking Team Todoroki! I wonder what influenced this change of events?"

With them distracted, Toga had her sights on beating Bakugou.

"Onwards!" She directed. However, the instruction was unnecessary, as Team Bakugou had come to be face to face with them once again. They needed to get in close. They had no need for the extra points, but the audience wanted a show. Why not add a pinprick of fear or intimidation with it? Then again, Bakugou wasn't one to show fear or to be intimidated. But Midoriya wanted to play with him a bit while there were spectators.

"Dabi, fire in the hole!"

"Fire in the hole? Or fire at the asshole?"

"You can stop talking now."

Blue flames emitted from Dabi's hand, a direct hit on Team Bakugou. When the fire had cleared, Sero, Mina, and Bakugou were all a little scorched but Kirishima had managed to block the brunt of the attack.

"Five minutes remaining and the action is just getting started!" The loud teacher announced.

Bakugou sprang from his group once again, aiming directly for Toga's face. She was unfazed. Time slowed down, her hand grabbing Bakugou's wrist, and giving him only enough time to realize something that was only seen face to face. The girl in front of him had piercing green eyes. Bakugou wouldn't admit that he wasn't very observant sometimes, but weren't her eyes supposed to be yellow? He managed to get a look at Deku(?) to his right. Green eyes.

This was a set up.

And he was trapped by the hand of his enemy.

"Did you finally figure it out Kacchan? I was really hoping I could keep the charade going the entire time, but you know me too well I guess." Toga's features melted into the true face of Midoriya. "I knew the eyes would give it away."

"We were doing such a good job too!" Toga, still disguised as Deku, whined.

"What?! Was this all fake?! Toga is disguised as Midoriya and Midoriya is disguised as Toga! This is certainly a change of events, isn't it, Eraserhead?" Mic asked with disbelief.

"This is an insane strategy, but it worked." Aizawa stated. It was unnerving.

The real Midoriya used the momentum from Bakugou's attack to flip him midair. It was difficult with lack of a good foothold, but the villain pulled it off.

"You know what,Kacchan? We have about two, maybe 3 minutes left. You have your headbands. I have mine. We could both go on. Why fight?"

The blonde picked himself up with his explosions, rapidly turning to face his opponent again. Once again, Sero had to drag him back to the group.

"I will be the absolute winner of this fucking battle and there is nobody in this stadium that will stop me. You hear that Deku?" Bakugou growled. Deku's mouth curved into a wild grin.

"And what makes you so sure of that?"

"I will be the number one hero. I will surpass All Might. And one day, I will fucking destroy you!"

"How do you plan to do that when you can't even beat the time limit?" Deku crooned.

"Bakugou! 10 seconds left!" Ashido warned, noticing the countdown on the screen."
Bakugou threw himself forward one last time, reaching for the headband handing loosely around Midoriya's neck. The rest of his team watched with worry and hope. They had managed to steal back their headband and Monoma's headbands, but they could lose it all right here.

"Evade." Deku commanded. His group moved to make their escape, but Bakugou grabbed a hold of the green haired boy's jacket. So close to victory. If only he had not forgotten about Shinsou. A quick thinking hit to Bakugou's side left him unbalanced with the use of only one hand. Anger ripped through every part of his being. Washing over him like a waterfall of hell.

"Time is up!"

And that became the first of many gears to set 1-V's plans into motion.

Chapter Text

"I was promised a meeting with the leader of this operation." said Stain.

"Sensei is listening in, but otherwise I am the leader." Shigaraki tapped the countertop with slight annoyance.

"I want a meeting with that green-haired kid that invited me." Tension grew thick in the bar. Kurogiri cleaned the cup in his hands, wary of how this encounter will play out.

"Why? Am I not important enough for your time, Hero Killer?" Stain observed the temper of the supposed leader of the League. He couldn't say he was a fan. However he wished to have a meeting with the small boy who seemed intriguing.

"I will talk with you, but only on the condition that I may meet with.. What's his name?"

"Deku." Shigaraki scowled.

"As in worthless?" Stain squinted.

"Don't look at me like that. He chose it for himself. While we talk, would you like to see him and part of the mission squad in action? They're on Tv!" He switched on the monitor in the corner of the bar. The cavalry battle had just ended, but recaps were being played for the at-home audiences.

"Care to explain how that happened?"

"It's a long story."

"I have time." Stain sat at the counter, "But I will need to be dropped off in Hosu after this is over."

"Kurogiri can arrange for your transportation." Shigaraki leaned forward with a cocky grin under the hand on his face.
-------------

Deku sneezed as he walked down the empty hall alone. Toga and Dabi went off to find some snacks and terrorize some bystanders. He couldn't stop them even if he wanted to. Deku was more concerned with the fact that Todoroki wanted to talk to him, and he couldn't find the right fucking hallway. Several wrong turns had directed him back to square one. Eventually he came across a bathroom, and decided to wash away his stress. Or that had been the plan. After two steps into the room he saw Present Mic and Eraserhead, in a somewhat embarrassing position. Aizawa seemed to be whispering in Mic's ear. Which was disturbing yet hilarious to Midoriya due to their otherwise unnoticeable height difference being oddly portrayed.

"Wrong way. Shit. Keep doing what you're doing. I'm outta here." Deku backed away, his face slowly turning pink. This was the last thing he wanted to see today.

Group chat:
I Will Keel You

(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside: Bleach my eyes

Knife Wife: ???

(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside: I have learned that Aizawa probably tops Presentation Michael from a rather unfortunate bathroom run

(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside: And I am deeply disturbed

Surprise Bitch: Hah

Surprise Bitch: Gay

Knife Wife: Aren't you Bi or somethin?

Surprise Bitch: Not important

Knife Wife: wait a minute did Deku just call Present Mic

Knife Wife: Presentation Michael

(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside: Did I fucking stutter

Surprise Bitch: Does that make him Michael In the Bathroom

Knife Wife: dABI

Surprise Bitch: I appreciate depressing yet amazing music Mkay bitch

(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside: Okay where the hell is the West Exit Hall

(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside: and Dabi, you need to be more chill

---------
At a later point in time, Deku was able to locate Todoroki. Standing in the dark, with his hair hanging over his dark eyes.
How edgy.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Midoriya leaned against the wall across from the Yuuei kid. Todoroki lifted his head, still glaring. The entire time 1-V has been around, he's been the least fond of having to talk to them.

"Dabi." He put shortly.

"What about him?" Midoriya feigned innocence.

"What's his deal? Who is he?"

"I'm not the one you want to be asking, am I?"

A pause.

"Don't you think that's a better conversation for Endeavor?"

"Do you know what quirk marriages are?" Todoroki asked.

"Yea?" Deku drummed his fingers against the wall. He could tell Todoroki was going to leap into a tragic backstory. That's how things happen in every. Single. Anime.
Deku had already heard bits and pieces of Dabi's life. Just enough to understand his grudge against the world.

As Midoriya guessed, Todoroki eased into telling the story of his abuse and his mother ending up in a hospital. Midoriya felt empathetic. The memory of constantly being bruised and beaten was clear in his head.

"Abuse, huh? Been there before." He said quietly. Todoroki narrowed his eyes, asking a silent question.

"It wasn't my mom. Or my dad for that matter. For ten years I was tormented by the one person I wanted to call a friend. And look where I am now!" Deku gestured to nowhere specifically. "I may be a villain, but you know what? I've never felt better, being the so called 'bad guy'. And I can live with that!"

Todoroki said nothing. Deku took a deep breath to calm down.

"That was really off topic of me. You wanted to know about Dabi? There's not anything I can tell you. He's a mystery to all but himself. After today, I'd suggest trying to talk to Endeavor. Something tells me he'll be a lot more open." Deku walked away, internally cursing at his lack of restraint. He kept letting... something... take over his emotions.

What has happened to me? The thought echoed through his head, repeating in a way that would drive him insane.

He needed to get back into the villain life. Soon.

------------
-In the Lunchroom-

"Asking about me? Really? I'm flattered." Dabi poked the inside of his slushie cup with his straw. Toga fiddled with her spoon, only half listening to Deku's recount of the encounter.

"Can I be serious for a moment?" Deku asked reluctantly.

"Yea. What's up?" Shinsou leaned forward in his seat.

"Shinsou, I don't know if you wanna be a part of this conversation." The villain warned with regret flashing across his features. Shinsou made no sign of moving away, and even leaned in closer to hear. Midoriya sighed.

"I need to get out of here. We all do. It's driving me insane. It's been too long since we've killed."

Shinsou's stomach dropped, but he kept listening. Murderer or not, his friend deserved to be heard out.

"Dabi, contact Shigaraki and tell him we need a quick out after my first match."

"Do you really think he's going to let all of us go?"

"Of course not." Quiet looks shared across the group as Dabi texted Shigaraki. It didn't take long for a response.

"He says that Sensei will let you go for a mission with Hero Killer Stain." Dabi said. "After your first match Toga will transform into you so nobody notices your absence."

"Oh good, Shigaraki didn't mess up the meeting." Deku said, relieved.

"Stain? You're going to meet with Stain? No fair!" Toga blurted, rather loudly. Shinsou silenced her by covering her mouth with his hand. She swatted him away and continued gushing about how much she loved the villain.

"His ideals are actually really admirable. If I wasn't stuck here with you guys I'd probably be a follower of his." Dabi replied lazily.

"Thanks. We feel so loved." Deku said sarcastically.

"What's the big deal about him? Other than the fact that he murders respectable heroes in cold blood." Shinsou muttered.

"He was kicked out of hero school for his ideals. He believes that heroism has lost its meaning and the lines of justice have been blurred. Quite understandable from my view. Motive is the main factor. Take 1-A for example. Kacchan is an aggressive bully, though his intentions are true." Deku scowled. "That Uraraka girl is mostly in it for the money, Todoroki is here to follow his dreams and spite Endeavor. That flame bastard is another category on his own. Who lets an abuser become a hero? Anyways, some of it may sound harsh but if you look at it in a certain light, it can be true. There are so many other factors to consider though."

"Oh thank god, you stopped before rambling." Toga leaned back in her chair. Deku stuck his tongue out at her in retaliation. Shinsou took a moment to process. It made sense, but it shouldn't. It's not right. Deku narrowed his eyes at the Gen Ed student.

"Right or wrong is so black and white. There's always the grey area."

Shinsou shot up, startled.

"Did you just-"

"Yes."

"What the fuck."

"Stopping now. It hurts to read minds too much. I think I lost a brain cell or two."

"We could be the ultimate duo. Reading and controlling minds. Can you imagine?" Shinsou blurted. And so the group fell back into a calm atmosphere until they were told to go back to the stands for the match ups for the bracket.

"Here we go again with the randomizer!" Present Mic yelled. Names placed themselves in order on screen. For the very first match of the tournament, Deku was matched up with the 1-B girl with the vine quirk. Shiozaki. Not a challenge for him. What was really interesting to him was that he would likely be against Todoroki for the second round.

Dabi was against Yaoyorozu for the seventh match of the day. Toga was matched against Uraraka for the third match. Toga squealed with glee at the sight of her name. Meanwhile Uraraka was trying to make herself seem as small as possible. Shinsou's opponent would be Kaminari. Bakugou located his name, right above Tokoyami's.

"Being first gives me more time afterwards." Deku said out loud to his friend group.

"That's true but what do we do when Toga has to go out only a little while after you?" Shinsou pointed out.

"I'll pretend I went looking for a bathroom and got lost again. It'll be fine."

"If you say so. You should probably head down to the field. I'll come with you so you don't find yourself running into teachers whispering sweet nothings." The purple haired teen coughed, hiding his laughter.
The pair departed from the group, leaving Toga and Dabi to themselves in the stands.
----------

"Hey." Shinsou stopped just before the corridor to the field began. Deku stopped and turned to face him.

"Go out there and win." His words carried quite a bit of weight. Shinsou knew he would be lucky to make it past one round. His quirk wasn't suited for this type of thing. Deku had everything he'd ever wanted. More than one useful quirk. The ability to win people over.

"I was quirkless, you know." The 1-V student said. "I'll go out there and win for the little guy. The ones who have to fight harder than the rest." He stuck out his hand. Shinsou took it. A quiet understanding passed between the two in the moments prior to Deku's leave. The green haired boy calmly walked out to the center stage, a little happier than before.

"Let us welcome to the stage, Shiozaki Ibara from class 1-B of the hero course! The silent assassin with her vines as weapons!" Present Mic exclaimed. Shiozaki turned toward the commentator's booth.

"Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude, but what do you mean by assassin? I have only come out here to claim victory, not my opponent's life."
Deku didn't know whether to be annoyed or find it funny, but he joined in anyways.

"Yea! If anything you should be calling me the assassin!" He tried to hide his smile. Present Mic apologized with slight exasperation. Midoriya offered his opponent a high five, then returned to his side of the arena. Midnight called for the start and so the games officially started.

In an instant, Deku threw flames from his hands directly at Shiozaki. With little time to prepare, she brought her vines up as a shield. However, this was less effective than she had hoped, as his flames burned right through the vines. Shiozaki ran a few steps backwards to avoid the full force of the fire. Deku could feel the skin on his hands being burned. His quirk was pyrokinesis, but for a short of amount of time he could create fire. It did hurt quite badly though.

In a swift movement, he switched to pyrokinesis to guide the flames in ring that encircled his opponent. She was trapped. And the circles of fire began to enclose around her. The heat was almost unbearable.

"I give up!" Shiozaki yelped. Deku grinned as he released the flames.

"Midoriya is the winner, and will continue onto the next round!" Midnight stated. There were a mix of 'boo's' and cheers from the crowd. Deku wasn't listening. He was more fixated on the idea of getting out of there, if only for a while.

One down.
Three to go.

Tournament Bracket

Chapter Text

A portal of dark mist formed in the bar of Kamino Ward. A moment later, a figure with bouncing green hair appeared from the darkness.

"Home sweet home!" Midoriya sighed with a tinge of relief. "Did you miss me?"
Shigaraki eyed the teen before motioning for him to talk to the guest on the couch. Kurogiri closed his portal, then addressed the teenager.
"Welcome back Midoriya Izuku. How has your time at Yuuei been?"

"Terrible, but the food makes up for it." He responded lightly. Midoriya made his way around the sofa and fell back onto a giant beanbag that had been an impulse steal a while ago. He was glad Kurogiri had been there to transport it.

"I believe a formal introduction is due?" Midoriya continued, hand outstretched. "Midoriya Izuku, or Deku. Whichever you prefer."

"Stain." The masked villain eyed the teen's hand warily. Deku promptly returned it to his side. The younger villain bobbed his head a little as a sign of acknowledgement. Stain could feel Deku examining every tiny detail about him. His green eyes never stopped analyzing.

"We should probably get going if we're going to Hosu." Midoriya shifted in his seat.

"How did you know about Hosu?" Stain asked.

"I never reveal my secrets." He winked.

"But I do." Shigaraki interjected. "The guy's a creeper who observed your pattern and figured it out through some math-y shit." The blue haired teen turned back to his video game. It took every fiber of Midoriya's being to not flip his colleague off right then. Shigaraki took his victory with pride, as nobody could see his face under the hand.

"Anyways, the odds are that we have a 85% chance of running into Ingenium, 12% of Native, and 3% Endeavor." Deku rattled off the information from the top of his head. "Perhaps even lower for the latter, since he's preoccupied with the Sports Festival."

"Let's go then."

"Hang on, I need to change. Yuuei can't find out that I've left and there's always a possibility of witnesses."

"Hurry." Stain commanded. Midoriya ran off to his room, quickly slipping into an everyday pair of jeans and a black hoodie. On his way out, he remembered to grab his disposable backpack that held an empty notebook with a few pens and a small knife. He shoved his uniform into the bag and rushed back into the bar area. Kurogiri had opened a portal, and the eyes in the room were all centered on him.

"Let's crush some souls, shall we?" Deku confidentially strode through the mist, no sign of emotion anywhere to be seen.
-------------------------

"Already my turn?!" Toga screeched, forgetting that she was disguised as Midoriya.

"What did you expect? Deku told you that Shouto was going to win, and you saw how fast that round went." Dabi massaged his temple. Being around Toga gave him a headache more often than not.

"Just switch back to being yourself in the empty entrance hall and go."

"Fine!" She huffed. "I'm still jealous that Dekkun gets to run around with Stain! Imagine the bloodshed! I want to be there!"

"Shut up before somebody hears you and start heading to the stage." Dabi groaned. Toga really had no clue how to be discrete. If Deku or Kurogiri weren't around, they probably would be at each other's necks with knives. God how he wished he had a knife. Or a machete. Or a machine gun. Why do people need quirks if they have guns?

Dabi's phone beeped from his pocket. A single message appeared on the screen.
--
(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside: To murder even more people
--

"Midoriya-fucking-Izuku." He said under his breath. "Fucking mind reading from miles away."
--
(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside: Still here
--
Dabi's grip on his phone tightened. He contemplated throwing his phone at the wall but there was no guarantee of him being able to get a new one.
--
(Don't) Wake Me Up Inside: Checkmate
--
By the time that Dabi had returned to the student section, there was fire flickering from his fingertips. From what the 1-A guys could tell, he wasn't even aware of it.
Kaminari leaned over to whisper to Kirishima.

"I wish I had some marshmallows right now. Do you think Momo would make some if I asked?" They had thought that they had been quiet enough to not be heard, but were proven wrong but the sudden burst of flames from Dabi's left hand. Still, the patchwork villain made no other signs of emotion. Blank expression, very little movement, all focus on the center of the stadium. It was like if he stopped staring at that one spot, he would combust.

Toga and Uraraka eventually walked onto the stage. Toga waved excitedly at everyone in the stands, while Uraraka awkwardly fidgeted with her hands.

"Ura-chan! Good luck~!" Toga called out.

"Alright! Here we have Toga, the knife-wielder, from 1-V! And the bubbly Uraraka from 1-A!" Present Mic introduced the students.

"Ready? Begin!"

"Ochako-chan~" Toga sang. "If I win this match can I have some of your blood? Pretty please?"

Uraraka ignored the villain's words and charged straight at her opponent. Toga carefully dodged until her transformation had enough time to set in. She had decided to take Dabi's form. Her uniform had become a bit too small to fit, but she had been prepared with a large, plain shirt underneath. Once again Uraraka tried to get close enough to Toga to make her float.

"I'll take that as a yes!" She giggled, which sounded rather strange coming from Dabi's voice. The disguised teen released flames from one hand toward Uraraka, fending her off. There was no time to evade and she was forced to take the attack mostly head-on. It hurt like hell, but Uraraka pulled herself back onto her feet.

"Stay down!" Dabi's voice shifted into a slightly higher pitched one. Black spikes extended into green curls. Toga transformed into Deku and bounced on her toes.

"I always love becoming Deku! It's so much fun!" She was glad that he had replenished her supply of blood before he had gone on his mission. Uraraka stayed on the defensive. It was risky to wildly rush in with Toga having whatever quirks that Deku wields. She bit her lip. She couldn't let her parents down now. Not in the first round.

"Aw, are you missing your mommy and daddy?" Toga tilted her head

"What the-"

"Oh you do speak! Great!" Sparks of electricity crackled through the air toward Uraraka, barely missing her.

"I've never been good at controlling this one." Toga sighed, looking at her hands as if they were the problem. Dabi internally cringed. This was just sad. He knew that she liked to play with her prey but couldn't she just get this over with? Deku's absence would become more obvious with every minute that passed
--------------------

Two figures lurked in the shadows of an abandoned alleyway. No sound. No movement. Simply observation and waiting. They were two creatures waiting to lure in an unsuspecting victim. Deku hummed to himself, carefully removing his notebook from his bag. He could learn a lot from Stain. Not to mention, he was finally free from the restraints of Yuuei. His supervisors had been too generous in their freedom during the festival. Not even a quirk suppressing band! This was likely to avoid conflict over whether the battles were rigged, but it was a bonus nonetheless. Deku knew that a tracking device would be a smarter substitution, but with possible legal disputes and his electricity, there was only a very small chance that it would still be in working order.

"Stop mumbling over there." Stain hissed, twirling a small knife. Deku immediately shut up and resumed his focus on the street just outside the alley. A figure dressed in white armor passed the villain's hiding spot. Ingenium. The pro hero stopped and turned back around to venture into the dark street. Something felt off about it. He couldn't explain it, but he knew he had to check it out.

It was possibly the worst decision Ingenium would make in his career. And his life. Steel struck into his leg, just behind his kneecap. The precise point in his armor where there was a gap for joint movement. He staggered forward, collapsing in pain. Stain knocked the hero down then removed the dagger, and brought the blood coated knife to his mouth. Tensei was now at the villain's mercy. More pain shot through his back and legs, from what he could only assume had resulted from the same sharp blade that dug into his skin. The world around him was unfocused and the corners of his vision were turning black. He could feel his consciousness and blood leaving him. He needed to move. Get up. Something to fight back.

"I'm assuming you're only keeping him alive to send a message?" A younger voice piped up from the shadows. From what little Tensei could see, the hooded figure was scribbling- no, drawing something in a notebook.

"That was the plan. But I would consider it a failure if the disciple did not gain anything from it." Stain responded. He held out a clean knife for the hooded teen. Deku took it, admiring the sharpness and lightness of the object. The younger villain kneeled down in front of the fallen hero, careful to avoid the blood.

"Ah, you must be Tenya's brother. I knew I recognized the name." Tensei's eyes widened at the mention of his sibling. He made an effort to turn himself, just enough to see his attacker.

"It'll be fun to see his reaction when he hears that Ingenium has taken an early retirement."

"S-stay away from him." Tensei choked out. He was clinging to the remains of his life. It was pathetic. He managed to move his hand and hold on tightly to Deku's sleeve. The villain felt a tinge of pride that he was able to make a hero beg for mercy.

"Goodnight, and farewell." Deku steadied his hand. "Ingenium."

He plunged the knife into Tensei's neck. Shock contorted his face in his final seconds of life. His eyes went dark. The job was done. Deku stared at the dead body for a moment before calmly picking up his notebook and finishing his drawing. It would take some cleaning up and more detailed work later, but he was satisfied. Stain leaned over his shoulder to look at his work. It was a moderately well done sketch of the dead hero laying in his own blood.

"Let's go. We cannot spend any more time here or we might be seen." Stain instructed. Deku obeyed, only stopping to wipe the knife's handle of finger prints. The two called for their transportation from Kurogiri, and made a silent escape leaving death in their footsteps.

----------------

----Several Minutes Later----

"Welcome back!" Toga greeted Deku in the hallway, dropping her disguise. "I won my match! Uraraka was devastated!"

"How'd it go?" asked Dabi.

"It was a success. I'm sure you'll be seeing it all over the news eventually." The group returned to the balcony as if nothing had happened. As far as anybody else was concerned, nothing else did happen.
Deku had missed Shinsou's fight but it supposedly was over quite quickly, as Kaminari had easily forgotten not to speak when Shinsou had called him an off-brand Pikachu. (His response had been: "Off-brand? I'm Gucci motherf-")

Currently, it was in the middle of Bakugou vs Tokoyami. Tokoyami had surprisingly held on for longer than expected, but things were looking down for him. As Midoriya expected, Tokoyami's weakness was revealed and he was overtaken by the explosions. Iida took this as his cue to stand up and start to make his way to the stage. Deku stopped him before he passed. The villain gave a quick look over the confused Iida.

"Is there something wrong? I need to get to the arena." He asked.

"Just wanted to wish you good luck." Deku simply shrugged.

"Why thank you Midoriya! I really must be on my way, but I appreciate the encouragement!" The taller boy nodded. Iida went on his way, and Deku smirked.
How fun.
How fun it will be to toy with him.

Chapter Text

The sun shined bright in the mid-afternoon sky as Iida and Mina took the stage for their battle. Most people in the stands were focused on their live entertainment, but others were beginning to read the shocking news of the tragedy that struck Pro-Hero Ingenium. Hushed whispers could be heard from the crowd, even amongst the cheering.

"ALRIGHT! Ladies and Gentlemen, I introduce cruisin' for a bruisin' Iida Tenya! And on the other side of the arena, we have Miss Slip-And-Slide Ashido Mina! This match is going to be one to remember!" Present Mic exclaimed into the microphone. Class 1-A leaned closer as they debated who would win this matchup.

"LET THE MATCH-" Present Mic faltered as a messenger handed him a slip of paper, "I'm sorry folks, some new information has come into play regarding one of our participants, this match will be forcibly forfeited. Ashido is the default winner of this round!"

The villain trio shared a discreet look. There was no doubt amongst them at what this was about. Unfortunately, Iida did not share this same insight and was protesting the idea of not being able to continue the match. Midnight escorted him off the field to a private room to explain what had occurred. A few minutes later, Ashido rejoined the rest of her classmates in the stands.

"You got so lucky Mina! I wish my match had been that easy!" Kaminari laughed, giving her a pat on the back as she sat down.

"I know I should consider myself lucky, but quite frankly it doesn't feel right, ya know?" Ashido sighed, sinking into the plastic seat beneath her. Her friends nodded in agreement. A small grin escaped Deku's usually rigid face. He took pride in the chaos he helped create, even if nobody else knew he was responsible.

"Hey dipshit, you're up next." Toga jabbed at Dabi's side with delight, encouraging the older boy to retaliate with the threat of blue flames that he held increasingly close to Toga's face. The two had been poking fun at each other for the past hour with increasing amounts of hostility. Shinsou had tried to intervene earlier, but he had enough sense to not get in the middle of it, there's a record of high risk for injury when those two really started getting on each other's nerves. Internally, Shinsou was yelling for Dabi to stop getting Toga riled up, for he knew he'd be facing her during the next round.

When stuck between a rock and a blood-sucking villain with psychopathic tendencies, you really don't want to make things harder for yourself.

"Guys," Deku said in a warning tone, "If you don't tone it down I will literally murder you after the tournament."

A few heads turned at that statement, but they quickly turned back the way they came when they were met with a green-eyed glare.

"Dekuuuuu you're no fun!" Toga whined.

Eventually, the time came for the next round to commence. Yaoyorozu versus Dabi. The expression on the former's face as she began to leave the stands made it no secret that she was nervous. As she made her way to the stairs, her opponent caught her eye with a horrifying smile and a smug wink. Her shoulders tensed up against her will. 1-V knew better than anybody that most times it's better to have people fear you rather than like you. Not to mention, they had a history of killing long enough to make a grown man shudder. Deku tapped on Dabi's shoulder once Yaoyorozu was out of hearing distance.

"She's nervous."

"Is that seriously the only observation you've made you little fucker?"

"No," Deku rolled his eyes, "She's going to be easy to overwhelm, don't give her time to think. In fact, don't give her time to breathe. She's not a spontaneous person. She overthinks things, much like I do, but doesn't know how to snap back from it. Hit her where it hurts." Dabi gave a quick thumbs-up before heading to his side of the arena.

"I only hope he doesn't overdo it, his dad is watching after all." murmured Deku.

"Dabi! Burn off her clothes for me!" a pervy voice cried out from in front of the villains.

"Oh, you little motherfu-" Deku started, but stopped upon realizing Tsuyu had beaten him to the punch. Quite literally. The one thing that 1-A and 1-V agreed upon was their hatred for Mineta.

"Mineta, stop being a creep." Tsuyu croaked.

"Someone remind me again why he was put in Class 1-A, but I wasn't?" Shinsou said jokingly, hushing Mineta's protests. "I mean, is it not weird to anyone else that they never did an actual interview with applicants? With the exception of the guys with recommendations."

"I think that if they did, they'd have lost half of their student body." Deku chimed in, sending a pointed look at Bakugou with enough force that his words seemed to burn into the back of the blonde's head.

"You know what? Fuck-"

"HEY HEY HEY! The 7th round of the day is about to start!" Present Mic announced gleefully. Thankfully for the other students, this broke up some of the tension. The crowd resumed cheering, and some booing, as Dabi and Yaoyorozu took the field.

-------------------------------------
---Waiting Room 3---

Iida paced around the room anxiously. Nobody was telling him what happened, and he was starting to worry. Midnight stood in the corner of the room as a supervisor, but a rather unhelpful one at that.

"What's going on?" he asked, only to be met with mournful silence. His pacing resumed. If he had counted right, and he was confident that he did, he'd made 22 laps around the room before finally being interrupted by the door opening.

"Detective Tsukauchi? Principal Nezu? Am I in trouble?"

"Far from it, kid." Tsukauchi sighed. This was going to be difficult for him. "It's about your brother, Tensei."

Gone?

Dead?

It didn't take long for the reality of his brother's death to hit. He grabbed a chair to keep him standing, but even that couldn't steady him. He collapsed to the ground. His brother never did anything to deserve this cruelty. And so he sat, broken, while the roar of the crowd just beyond the walls of the arena remained oblivious.

-----------------------------------

"Nice job, dude." Shinsou chimed.

Dabi had managed to push Yaoyorozu out of bounds with his flames, so the match had been over rather fast.

"Ah, it's a shame though, her quirk has the potential to be quite powerful. She'll be one to watch out for when we get out of here." Deku hummed. He took note to look into figuring out the limits of Yaoyorozu's quirk for future reference. Another task on his long to-do list, or rather, his procrastination list. Regardless, it would be a much-needed excuse to stay in his dorm instead of dealing with Kaminari and Sero's "challenge nights". Or at least that's what they called it. Last time, it involved a terrible rendition of The Great British Bake Off that resulted in the common room smelling like burnt toast for a week. Just the thought of the horrid smell made Deku cringe. He'd been apart of a few too many fire-related incidents over the past couple weeks.

"How do you think Kirishima's gonna do against Tetsutetsu?" Kaminari asked, pointing his question at the green-haired boy. "Like, does he stand a chance?"

"Well, that's an interesting question. The two of them have basically identical quirks, if I didn't know better I'd think they were fraternal twins. Based on the dynamics of how their powers work, it ends up depending on who has higher endurance." Deku observed, trailing off into rambling that his peers could barely follow along with.

"Just smile and nod, it'll be less painful," Dabi advised as he reached his seat. "Unless you're like me, and have staples holding your face together."

"So those things are like stitches?" Sero asked with a wide-eyed stare.

"You thought that these were an aesthetic choice?"

"I don't know, I just thought it was part of your edgy villain look."

"Tch." The villain clicked.

"Oh boy, Kirishima and Tetsutetsu are really going at it." Mina interjected. It was true, neither side was wavering as far as the audience could tell. Deku found it rather funny. In the meantime, the noise of the arena grew and grew, building up the exciting atmosphere. It was nearly enough to hide the presence of a particularly upset student. Or at least it would have if he didn't have to speak up.

"Hey, Uraraka, can I have my phone back?" Iida had entrusted her to hold onto his device while he was participating in his battle. Unfortunately for him, it ended up just resulting in a walk of post-crying shame. It's not that he felt ashamed of crying, but it was kind of embarrassing nonetheless. Though, his emotions were, without a shadow of a doubt, justifiable.

"Yeah, of course," Uraraka said, trying to remember which pocket she had put his phone in. "Are you okay? We're all really worried about you."

"I'm fine." Iida smiled half-heartedly. If he could just get through this conversation without breaking down, he'd be okay. "It's a family thing."

"If you say so." The brunette passed him his phone. "But if you need anything, let us know. We might not be close friends but I'm always available to listen if you feel like talking."

"Thanks, Uraraka." She's a sweet girl. Iida couldn't think of a single time she hadn't been there for others. But right now, he just needed time to process and mourn. He promptly made his way to the exit, but not without making uncomfortable eye contact with a certain green-haired villain. A wave of anger rolled over Iida. Fellow students or not, they're villains. Exactly like the ones that must have killed his brother. He shook his head. He needed some space.

"AND IT'S A TIE!" Present Mic yelled, addressing Kirishima and Tetsutetsu, who had knocked each other out after a very drawn-out battle.

"THEY'LL BE BACK AFTER A SHORT INTERMISSION TO DO A TIEBREAKER! CAN I GET A 'HEY HEY HEY?!" The crowd responded with a loud shout of jumbled versions of "Hey!" The teacher beamed with pride.

"Nobody ever responds to my cheers!"

"Do you ever shut up?"

"Oh come on Eraser! You know you love me!"

"Do I?"

"Rude!"

--------------------------------

-Kamino Ward, approximately 15 minutes later-

"Shigaraki put down your GameCube." Kurogiri scolded.

"I know you did not just call my Nintendo Switch a GameCube"

"I can't keep up with your newfangled devices. Anyways, that's not the point. The next match is one you're going to be interested in."

Shigaraki scowled and threw his device on the couch next to him. Everybody kept interrupting his Animal Crossing time.

"What's so important?" The teen scratched his neck out of habit.

"The red hair kid won the tiebreaker," Kurogiri explained. "Which means that Deku is about to go against Endeavor's son."

"Ohhh that is interesting. I can't wait to see that broccoli bitch get his face melted off on live television." Shigaraki laughed. He had a feeling that Deku would figure out a way to win anyway, but there was no way in hell that he'd support the guy.

---------------------------------

"Ahhhh Dabi, don't you wish you were fighting your brother? Imagine the irony! The bloodshed!" Toga squealed.

"If you don't stop talking, blood will be shed. And it won't be mine."

Todoroki and Midoriya stood on the opposite sides of the arena with cold glares aimed like daggers. Neither person had a specific grudge that needed to be held, yet they each hold an intense desire for victory.

"Ready..."

He'd never felt more ready.

"Set...."

The arena is his stage. His set.

"Go!"