Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Darkness…

‘Where am I?’ Izuku thinks while looking around

Darkness…

“Hello?” he asks, but there’s no one to respond.

Izuku starts to feel anxious, trapped in a void of pure, endless darkness. ‘Calm down, Izuku! What would All Might do in this situation?’ he thinks to himself, trying to steady his breathing.

‘Okay… first things first, how did I get here?’ He tries to remember. ‘I woke up this morning, prepared for school, said goodbye to Mom, then I went to school like always. I got through the day, everyone laughed at me for trying to get into U.A… then Kacchan bullied me and said that…’

Izuku rethinks Bakugo’s words, trying to comprehend why he would say something like that…

"I know a way you can be a hero… Jump off a roof and pray for a quirk in your next life."

‘W-why would he say that?’ Izuku thinks as tears run down his cheeks, falling into the void.

"Friends don’t say that to each other…" A sudden realization hits him. ‘But… is he my friend?’

After some time, Izuku regains his composure. ‘I-I have to keep remembering. Then I was going home when that slime villain attacked me—wait, am I dead?!? No… All Might saved me… wait… I MET ALL MIGHT!!! That’s amazing. Okay, calm down.’ He takes a breath and continues. ‘So then, I went with him through the sky… that was stupid… but anyway, I asked him THE question…’

Izuku’s face darkens, showing no hope or dreams. ‘He said no… h-he said no… and then…’ Izuku sobs, tearing himself apart.

"I jumped off the roof…"

“So I am dead… and this is the afterlife?”

He looks around, finding nothing new… but this time, someone answers.

“Indeed, you are dead, but this is not the afterlife,” a voice comes from behind Izuku. He turns around, seeing the man who spoke. He looks to be in his early twenties, wearing dark clothes similar to those of the hero Eraser Head, but without the scarf. He has black hair, red eyes, and a mischievous smile — not evil nor good — the type of expression that could belong to either a friend or an enemy, depending on his desires.

“Who are you?” Izuku asks, positioning his body as if about to run… if he could.

“I have many names… but you can call me Sir. That’s my name,” the stranger, now named Sir, says as he floats closer, stopping about three feet from Izuku.

“You don’t look like Sir Nighteye…” Izuku mumbles, but Sir hears it and his face twists in annoyance.

“I am NOT Sir Nighteye. My name is Sir Death,” Sir says with patience.

“W-wait, s-so y-you’re D-Death?” Izuku asks, fear creeping into his voice.

“Indeed I am, but don’t worry, I am not here to harm you… quite the opposite. I am here to help you. You’ve been dead for six months—”

“SIX MONTHS?!?!” Izuku’s eyes widen. “My mom must be so worried… h-how are you going to help me?”

While Sir is annoyed by the interruption, it doesn’t change his plans. He sighs and continues.

“Before I tell you that, you must know that your mother passed away three months ago.”

The news hits Izuku like a hammer.

“Sh-she can’t be dead…” Izuku looks at Sir with tears streaming down his face. “H-how did she die?”

“I will show you.”

Flashback

Inko Midoriya was driving to the graveyard when she saw All Might fighting against a giant monkey villain. Inko stopped at a traffic light as the villain and All Might fought with ferocity. In an attempt to defeat the villain, All Might threw a Washington Smash directly at the villain’s stomach, launching him toward the traffic light. The villain crashed into three cars, destroying them and killing everyone inside.

While All Might celebrated his victory with the crowd, five people lay dead — one of them was Inko Midoriya.

End of flashback

Izuku stands frozen in shock.

"All Might killed my mom… h-he didn’t even care… He made me and my mother die…" His chest tightens in pain.

"He is no hero…" Izuku says with hate in his voice. “I swear I will kill that bastard and every other hero out there…”

Then he looks at Sir, who has a serious expression.

“Could you… revive me?” Izuku asks.

“I can — and I will,” Sir says, making a gesture with his hand. “Not only that, but I will give you something you’ve never had.”

“A-are you going to give me a quirk?!?” Izuku asks hopefully.

“No,” Sir responds, disappointing Izuku.

“Oh…” Izuku’s gaze drops, the spark in his eyes fading.

“But I will give you something better,” Sir says with a grin.

“Something better?” Izuku asks, confused. What could possibly be better than a quirk?

“I will give you raw power,” Sir says, extending his right arm. A red, semi-transparent orb appears in his hand. “I will give you the power of the Blood Demon — but it will be different from the original.”

Izuku looks at the orb, amazed and curious. Sir continues.

“It will be like a game,” Sir explains.

“A game?” Izuku asks, confused. ‘How can raw power be like a game?’

“With every person you kill and drink their blood, you’ll gain something like ‘XP.’ With enough XP, you can unlock new abilities — like controlling blood or jumping in the air. At the beginning, you’ll have red claws, nearly indestructible and retractable, and red teeth, even more indestructible and also retractable. You’ll also have enhanced regeneration — you can regenerate a body part in an hour and infinitely regenerate blood — plus enhanced speed, reflexes, and strength.”

“That’s amazing! That sounds like three quirks in one!” Izuku says, excited about his future power — a power that could surpass Kacchan’s Bakugo’s.

“Oh, and you’ll also be able to change the color of your eyes and hair to go incognito if you want,” Sir adds while closing his fist.

“Thank you, Sir!” Izuku bows deeply.

“Don’t worry. I’ll change your clothes — something better than a school uniform.”

With a gesture of his hand, Izuku now wears a mint green ru with dark green trim, a white robe with slightly tattered sleeves, dark blue pants also tattered at the ends, and mint green bandages wrapped from his elbows to his wrists.

“Now go and take your revenge. You will never see me again, not in this life nor the next. Goodbye.”

Without waiting for a response, Sir gestures with his hand and Izuku disappears from the void.

After a moment, a feminine voice speaks behind Sir.

“Told ya he wouldn’t ask why you waited six months to revive him~”

Sir smiles and turns toward the woman.

“Well, it still worked as planned. Now we wait for the show to start. How long do you think it will take him to kill All Might?”

“Hm~ Within a year,” the woman replies with a grin.

Sir chuckles. “That’s cheating, Fang. Of course it’ll take a year — the League and the MLA will destroy every hero.”

“Don’t worry — just watch the show~”

Sir follows her, but before disappearing, he glances back and whispers, “Let’s see how far you go, Izuku Midoriya.” Then he disappears

Chapter Text

Six Months Ago

When Izuku was absent, it was always an odd day. He always showed up, even if one of his arms was shattered. But no one really cared — maybe he was on vacation, or a family member had died, or something like that.

Katsuki was confused. 'Why would Deku be absent?' He decided he would ask Inko or his mom later.

That afternoon, when he got home, he found his mom hugging Inko — her best friend — who was sobbing uncontrollably, flooding the room with tears.

“What’s going on?!?” Katsuki demanded, looking around, anxiety rising in his chest.

His mom looked up at him with red, swollen eyes. “I-Izuku… committed…” She gulped, trying to find the words. “He jumped off a roof.”

The words hit Katsuki like a train. 'W-why would he jump?' Then he remembered what he had told him the day before…

“I know a way you can be a hero…”

No… it can’t be.

“Jump off a roof and pray for a Quirk in your next life.”

'It’s my fault. He… he’s dead because of me.' Katsuki clutched his head and dropped to the floor under the crushing weight of his guilt.

'It’s my fault, it’s my fault, it’s my fault…' He repeated the phrase over and over as tears ran down his face.

'What have I done? Izuku… please forgive me…'

---

The Present

Stan had a decent life — a good job, a wife and kids waiting at home, plenty of friends. What could possibly go wrong?

Today, he was helping a friend who needed to eat human flesh to survive. He had helped him sneak into the graveyard — where Stan worked — to dig up some corpses. Tonight’s target was a guy named Vinsmoke or something like that.

They were in front of the grave, shovels in hand, when they heard a scratching noise coming from their right.

“Who’s there?” Stan said, raising his shovel defensively. No one answered. The scratching grew louder. Then the dirt of the grave to their right started to shift, as if someone underneath was trying to push it open.

Stan and his friend exchanged nervous glances.

“A mole, maybe?” his friend suggested.

“Or… a zombie?” Stan replied, his voice tight with fear. They gripped their shovels, preparing to defend themselves.

A hand with large, blood-red claws burst from the grave, followed by another. The hands pushed against the ground, lifting a boy from the earth. He had red hair, red eyes, and freckles scattered across his face. He couldn’t have been more than fifteen.

The boy blinked, adjusting to the dim light.

“Uh… could you tell me where I am?” he asked calmly.

“You’re on Thriller Bark — the graveyard of Musutafu,” Stan said, not lowering his shovel.

The boy — Izuku — looked around thoughtfully. “Hmm… I’m hungry… but not for food.” His gaze settled on the two men. His lips curled into a sharp smile. “Ah, I know!” He stood up, noticing his own height. 'I’m taller now,' he thought, looking down at the ground beneath him.

“I’m sorry to tell you this but…” Izuku said with a grin, “I’m going to drink your blood.”

Before they could react, Izuku lunged at them, slashing through the handles of their shovels with ease. Then he ripped through their throats just as effortlessly.

“Huh… that was easier than I thought it would be,” he shrugged. “Easy level-up for me.”

He lifted one of the bodies and sank his fangs into the man’s neck, drinking every drop of blood until the body was pale and dry. “Ha, he looks like a raisin,” he muttered, dropping the body before doing the same to the other.

When he was done, he glanced back at his own grave.

“I don’t think this will be useful anymore,” he said, before smashing the gravestone with his claws.

“That’s better.” He looked down at his hands, admiring the deadly claws. “I like these… they’re strong and cut well.”

He scanned the graveyard, surrounded only by tombstones and two lifeless bodies.

“Maybe I should go for more blood.” He started walking toward the graveyard gate, a sinister grin spreading across his face.

'Which can be my new name?’

---

Aftermath

Naomasa arrived at the scene with Koji. Ryan was already there, waiting for them.

“So, what do we have?” Naomasa asked.

“Two dead bodies,” Ryan replied. “Not a single drop of blood left in them.”

“That’s… unusual,” Naomasa frowned. “Who would take the time to drain all their blood? And why destroy a grave?”

“Maybe they were grave robbing,” Koji suggested. “The man on the right worked as a security guard here. The other guy came every month to eat a corpse for his Quirk.”

“Maybe… maybe…” Naomasa scribbled down notes. “Get me all the security footage from around here. Look for witnesses and find out who reported the bodies.”

“There was an old lady who found them while visiting her son’s grave,” Ryan added.

“I’ll get the footage,” Koji said. “I’ll report back right away.”

'Whoever killed them… didn’t just kill them. He drank their blood. That’s not the behavior of a grave robber… so why was he here?' Naomasa frowned, knowing that these two bodies were only the beginning.

---

Later That Night

Shota was having a good night — roughing up some low-level thieves, drinking coffee at the cat café, and enjoying a peaceful view.

Then he saw a kid in a white robe standing at the edge of a building. He was covering his mouth with a blue scarf.

Shota approached cautiously. “Hey, kid. What are you doing up here?”

The boy turned around quickly, his piercing red eyes analyzing Shota.

“Nothing. Why do you ask?” the kid replied.

“Well… standing on the edge of a roof looks dangerous. You might accidentally fall.” I need to convince him not to jump. I don’t know if I can catch him from here.

After a moment, the kid relaxed. “I’m not going to jump, if that’s what you’re worried about.” He rubbed his forehead. “I’m just… admiring the view. My mom never let me…” His voice softened at the mention of his mom.

“What happened to your mom?” Shota asked.

The boy’s face darkened. “She died… in an accident.”

Damn it, Shota thought. I shouldn’t have asked.

“But don’t worry,” the kid continued, his expression hardening. “I’m better now. I’m going to achieve my dream… and nothing will stop me.”

Shota’s brow furrowed. “What’s your dream?”

The boy smiled darkly as he descended the staircase, his red eyes gleaming under the city lights. “You’ll find out. Maybe in a year or two… maybe less. But it might interfere with your desires.”

Shota immediately ran toward the staircase — but when he got there, it was empty.

'How did he disappear so fast?'

Meanwhile, hidden beneath the staircase in a dumpster, Izuku grimaced. 'Ugh… I wanted a dramatic exit. Now I smell like trash…'

Chapter Text

“There were two bodies found in Thriller Bark, the cemetery of Musutafu, completely drained of blood. The police—" The man watching the news paused the TV.

“Ugh, another maniac drinking blood. I hope they kill that bastard,” the man muttered as he took a swig of beer from his couch.

But an unexpected voice came from behind him. “Oh~ why do you want me dead, old man?”

The man jumped to his feet, spinning around to see Izuku with his claws extended. They stared at each other for a moment before Izuku smiled, his expression turning sinister. In that instant, the man hurled the beer bottle at Izuku and tried to bolt for the door.

Izuku blocked the bottle with his right arm, and with his left arm, he pierced the man’s right arm, pushing him into the bathroom. “Why the rush? Aren’t you going to kill me~?” The man could only respond with an expression of pure terror.

“Oh well~ I wonder if your blood tastes better than the other two…” Izuku grinned wickedly as he stepped closer to the man. Then, with a swift motion, he pierced the man’s heart with two of his claws, killing him instantly.

“Just as easy. Maybe I need to kill heroes for it to be difficult…” Izuku muttered as he grabbed the man’s body. He bit into it and drank his blood. “I just need 7 more to level up…ugh, why does it have to be so many?” he groaned as he left the apartment. But then, he paused and got an idea.

He left the apartment with the dead man in tow, leaving a giant "R" engraved on the bathroom wall.

---

A man and woman were in an alley, the man pinning the woman against the wall. “Don’t try to resist, or I’ll kill you, understand?” he grinned maliciously. The woman struggled to break free, but as she sensed that the man had let her go, she looked up and saw Izuku standing over him, the man already dead at his feet.

“Thank you,” she said, tears of gratitude in her eyes.

“Huh? Oh, you think I saved you? No, no, no, no. You misunderstood,” Izuku said with a dark chuckle. “You’re going to die too.” With that, he slashed the woman’s throat open. After finishing his work, he left, leaving behind two dry corpses and a giant "E" and "D" on the wall.

---

"My parents are going to be so proud! I’m going to work for David Shield!” A young man said, his face beaming with joy. He pulled out his keys and started to unlock the door. “My life can’t get any better!” But as he entered, someone pierced his head like butter.

“Well, it would be better if you had one,” Izuku quipped with an evil grin before draining the young man's blood and engraving a "T" on the wall.

---

It was late at night, and Zaru had to move quickly if he didn’t want to be robbed or abducted. He was a block from his house when he spotted a boy with red hair and eyes, his mouth covered, walking toward him. 'Act natural, like you’re not afraid of him,' Zaru thought to himself. He tried to play it cool, but there was a problem.

'He doesn’t fear me... maybe he’ll be more challenging than the others,' Izuku thought as he smiled. When they got close enough, Izuku tried to slash Zaru’s throat, but Zaru managed to dodge the attack and made a run for it, darting into a nearby alley.

'Damn it,' Izuku thought, chasing after him. He was much faster, but when he finally caught up and pinned Zaru to the ground, voices from the surrounding area interrupted.

“Look what we have here,” said a man with a knife in his hand.

“A brat trying to be a villain,” said a short man, electricity crackling between his fingers.

“Let’s beat the shit out of him, boys!” bellowed a large man with blades for fingers.

'Looks like I’m having fun tonight,' Izuku thought, grinning as he snapped Zaru’s legs and stood up, preparing for the fight.

The man with the knife lunged, but Izuku easily dodged and kicked him into a wall. The short man tried to touch him, but Izuku jumped higher than any normal human could, kicking him to the ground with enough force to crack the pavement. Before the big man could attack, Izuku seized the opportunity, leaping at him, evading his blade and ripping off one of his arms.

He moved on to the man with the knife, swiftly making a hole in his stomach, and then turned to the big man, crushing the short man’s neck with a stomp on his way to finish him off, finally killing the big man.

“Well, that was more challenging, but still easy,” Izuku said, looking around for Zaru, who was scrambling to escape down the alley.

'No, uh~'

Izuku muttered as he approached Zaru. But when he was about to reach him, Zaru began to glow for a few seconds before blacking out. 'That was annoying,' Izuku remarked, before killing Zaru and drinking the blood of all four men. He then engraved "O", "O", "T", and "H" on the wall near the bodies before leaving the scene.

---

Naomasa arrived at the new crime scene, where Koji was already waiting for him.

“So, same MO, same killer?” Naomasa asked, clearly annoyed. 'One day, this madman appears and kills ten people in a span of five days. This is becoming a much bigger problem.'

“Yeah, with 'T', 'O', 'H', and another 'O' on the wall. Do you know what that means?” Koji asked, showing him his notes.

“Let’s see, there was an 'R', 'E', 'D', and 'T' in the previous cases…” Naomasa muttered, pondering the answer. Suddenly, it clicked.

“I know! It’s Redtooth!” Naomasa exclaimed.

“His villain name, maybe?” Koji wondered aloud.

“It must be…” Naomasa said, “He wants to be recognized. That could be his downfall.”

“Hey! We got some footage!” Ryan, a newly arrived officer, said. “There was a camera showing that he tried to kill a man named Zaru but failed. Zaru ran into this alley, where he encountered some other guys who tried to fight him, but ultimately lost.”

'So, he knows how to fight,' Naomasa thought. “Could we see his face?” he asked.

“No, but we know he’s a man. He wears a white robe, a blue scarf, has red hair, and uses red claws to kill his victims,” Ryan explained.

“Post the description and mention that he has red teeth,” Naomasa ordered.

“How do you know?” Ryan asked, confused.

“Because that’s his name: Redtooth.”

---

“The police reported a new villain with ten victims on his hands—”

“Agh, another villain that those fakes haven’t dealt with,” Stain muttered, cleaning one of his blades.

---

“…this villain drinks all the blood of his victims without leaving even a single drop—”

A blonde girl gasped and blushed. 'He drinks blood too, just like me. Maybe we could be partners. Maybe he’ll even give me some of his blood!' She squealed softly before refocusing on the news.

---

“…this new villain wears a white robe and a blue scarf, has red hair, claws, and teeth—”

“Damn it!” Shota said, slamming his desk.

“What happened?” Hizashi asked from his own desk at UA.

“I’ve seen this kid. I saw him on a rooftop the other day…” Shota replied. “The description fits.” 'I should’ve asked him more.'

---

“…and he goes by the name Redtooth.”

All For One chuckled. “Maybe he’ll be useful in the future,” he said with an evil grin.

---

“Looks like I’m famous. Ugh, now I have to go incognito,” Izuku muttered as he walked along a trash-filled beach.

The world now had a demon: a man with the power of another universe, and it wasn’t prepared for him.

Chapter Text

“Now, now~ let’s see my new ability,” said Izuku with a grin on Dagobah beach. He focused on his mind and found the powers he was looking for. ‘I can sense them, each of my abilities: my claws, my teeth, my regeneration, my enhancements, my ability to change the color of my hair and eyes, and… the color of my clothes? I didn’t know that,’ thought Izuku, his smile growing bigger.

He continued his research. ‘Let’s see… let’s see… here it is! An energy attack? How does that work?’

He attacked as if cutting through the air, and five energy lines shot out from his claws, destroying a nearby pile of garbage.

“Ohhh, it’s a medium-range attack. Well, that will work,” said Izuku, inspecting the destroyed pile.

‘And how many more to level up?’ Izuku thought. He focused again, then shouted, “20!? There’s a lot to do if I want to become stronger, then.” He thought for a moment before heading off. ‘I have to find a broker, someone with contacts to make getting kills easier.’

---

Later

Izuku, with his hair now white and his clothes a light green tone, walked through the streets, ensuring no one would recognize him. He stumbled upon a group of men in an alley and grinned as he approached them.

“Hey there,” called Izuku, making the men turn and grin when they saw him.

“What do you want, brat?” said a man on the left with brown fur, like a bear.

“You look like you’re into illegal things, so I want to know if you know a broker who can help me find some jobs,” Izuku said, his smile unwavering.

After a moment of silence, the men burst out laughing. “You? A villain? Yeah, and I’m All Might!” said the man with sunglasses on the right.

“Well, yeah, I am a villain,” Izuku replied, annoyance creeping into his voice.

“Yeah, of course. Get lost,” said a third man sitting on a dumpster.

“Well… you may know me as Redtooth,” Izuku responded, his expression turning serious.

“The Redtooth has red hair, doesn’t he?” said the bear-man.

“And white clothes,” added the man with sunglasses.

“And red teeth, of course,” added the man sitting on the dumpster.

Izuku grinned. “Well, you see…” He smiled, revealing his red teeth. “Sometimes I don’t want to be recognized, and I don’t like people who annoy me. And you… are annoying me.”

The men were paralyzed with fear at the revelation and threat, but one man wasn’t.

“Giran,” said a man with an eye patch, standing up. “There’s a broker named Giran. He can get you anything for the right price.” He scribbled something on a piece of paper.

“He’ll be at this place in two days, at 10 p.m. You can talk to him then,” he said, handing Izuku the note.

“Thanks,” said Izuku, a mischievous smile on his face. “Finally, someone I can talk to.” He grabbed the paper and turned to leave. “We may see each other again… but have hope, we may not,” he added, walking out of the alleyway.

---

Two days later

Giran was on his way to meet some thugs in a warehouse near Dagobah beach. When he arrived and entered, he found the men dead on the floor, dry, with no blood.

“Damn it, looks like Redtooth got here before me,” Giran muttered, irritated. The men weren’t worth much, but something was better than nothing.

He turned to leave when a voice called from near the exit. “So, you’re that broker they told me about.” The man was sitting in the shadows, perched on a few boxes.

“Yeah, you want something? My clients are dead, courtesy of Redtooth, but I can still help you for the right price,” Giran said with a charismatic smile.

“Yeah, sorry about that. They were annoying,” said the voice as the man stepped into the light, revealing Izuku in his red form.

Giran took a step back, unsure if he was about to be attacked. “Do you want something?” he asked, cautious.

“Don’t worry. I won’t kill you. I want jobs, more challenging people to kill,” Izuku said, grinning.

“I can find some jobs, but it’ll cost you,” Giran said confidently, realizing he wasn’t in danger for the moment.

“Money. Yeah, I’ve taken it from my victims,” Izuku said, pulling out a bundle of cash. “Here’s 40,000 yen. Is that enough for you?” He counted the cash.

“I can make that work. Meet me here in a week, same time, and I’ll get you a job. Maybe a bank robbery or something,” Giran said, extending both hands—one for the cash, the other for a handshake.

“I like you. Don’t worry, I swear I won’t kill you anytime soon,” Izuku said, handing over the money and shaking his hand.

“It’s a pleasure doing business with you, Redtooth,” Giran said with his charming voice.

Izuku chuckled and turned to leave. “See you around,” he said before disappearing into the night.

After Izuku left, Giran stashed the money in his jacket and began to leave the warehouse. ‘So interesting. The murderer of 13 people is just a kid,’ Giran thought with a chuckle. ‘I wonder what All For One will think of this.’

---

A week prior

Izuku arrived at the warehouse just as planned, in his incognito mode. When he entered, he spotted three figures at a table, playing poker.

A man with a scar across his nose and below his eyes noticed him and said, “Who’s that brat, Giran? Don’t tell me he’s part of the…” He stopped, thinking for a second before continuing, “ Activity we’re going to do?”

Giran appeared from the back and smiled. “Well, gentlemen, he’s going to be the star of the show at the bank robbery.” He went to Izuku and offered a handshake, which Izuku gladly accepted.

A man with blue skin asked, “That kid’s going to be the star of the show? Who is he to pull that off?” The others nodded, watching Giran for an explanation, but it was Izuku who answered.

“You can call me Red, but I’m better known as Redtooth,” he said, shifting into his red form and showing his claws.

A man in a pink cape spit his drink. “A kid is that infamous killer!? I never would’ve guessed.”

“Expect the unexpected,” said Giran, grinning. Then he turned to Izuku. “Well, Red, these guys will be your partners for this job.” He pointed to the man with the scar. “This is Rocodile, brother of the hero Snatch, but he can only turn his legs into sand.” He pointed to the blue man. “This is Binje, with a mutation quirk that enhances his strength and speed, especially in water.” Finally, he pointed to the man in pink. “And this is Don Damingo, with a quirk that lets him control someone like a puppet, but if they’re too strong, they can break free.”

Izuku analyzed each of the men. ‘Rocodile I can kill easily if I hit his neck. Binje won’t be troublesome on land, and Don Damingo looks weak, overly reliant on his quirk. After this job, I’ll kill them if they annoy me,’ Izuku thought, then grinned. “I look forward to working with you,” he said before turning to Giran. “So, what’s the plan?”

Giran smiled and took out a map from behind some boxes. He placed it on the table and pointed to a spot. “This is the bank you’ll rob. Don Damingo will be the getaway driver in front of the van. Rocodile, Binje, and Red will enter the bank, do the usual—threaten to kill anyone who tries to call for help or act like a hero, and ask for the money. Then we get away in the van. Simple, right?” Giran said with a smile. The men all nodded, except Izuku.

“At what day and time will it be?” Izuku asked, looking at the map.

“A month from now, at 6 p.m.,” Giran said.

“No,” Izuku replied, not looking up from the map.

“What do you mean ‘no’?” Giran asked, confused.

“At that time, Present Mic and Midnight are patrolling the area. They’ll arrive quickly, and with those two plus other heroes, I don’t think we’ll be able to win. Plus, All Might is in town. He might show up,” Izuku stated, still focused on the map.

‘Well well… he’s not just strong, he’s an analyst too’ Giran thought, then grinned. “So, when would you do it?” he asked.

“At the UA entrance exam, at the same time. There are rumors that All Might will be teaching there, and if he is, he’ll be at the entrance exam. Midnight and Present Mic also teach there, so they won’t be around. That’s the perfect time,” Izuku grinned, meeting Giran’s eyes.

Giran smiled. ‘He could make a great leader, assassin, strategist, and even bodyguard. All for One might find him very interesting.’ He looked at the men. “You heard him, boys. The UA entrance exam day, one hour before it starts. Meet here to start the plan.” He grinned again, his mind racing. ‘If this works, I’ll have to tell All for One about him.’

After some more conversation, everyone left. As Izuku was about to leave, Giran called out to him.

“Hey, Red.”

Izuku turned.

“What?” he asked.

“Don’t kill them, please. It would make it harder for me to get you jobs,” Giran said with a smile.

Izuku returned the smile. “I’ll try,” he said before leaving.

‘An interesting kid, indeed’ Giran thought as he left the warehouse.

Chapter Text

Hawks soared through the sky, searching for something. 'Where is that KFC I saw the other day?' As he scanned the area, one of his feathers detected a murder in a nearby alleyway. Without hesitation, he changed course and headed toward it.

When he arrived, he found three lifeless bodies—and a kid. The boy was drinking the blood of one of them, while the others remained without blood.

‘Red hair, white robe… he must be that 'Redtooth' the HSPC told me about. Twenty-seven dead in almost three months… Well, thirty now, counting these three.’

Hawks landed silently behind the boy.

“Hey, kid, I'm not in the mood. Why don’t you just surrender and come quietly to jail?” he said, his tone casual yet firm.

Izuku covered his mouth with his scarf and turned around, taking a defensive stance while quickly analyzing the situation. 'Damn it, why is Hawks here? He doesn’t have a patrol nearby. At this time of day, he should be out looking for food… but it must be something special if he came all the way here. The nearest restaurants are all common ones around his usual patrol route, except for…’

Izuku’s expression shifted in realization.

“Wait a minute… Were you going to KFC? Isn’t that cannibalism or something?”

“It’s NOT! Just because I have feathers doesn’t make me a bird—let alone a chicken!” Hawks shouted, visibly annoyed. But then something clicked in his mind. “Wait a second… how did you know where I was going?”

“Easy. At this time of day, you’d be eating. So, you must’ve been looking for a special restaurant outside your usual patrol area. The closest one is KFC“ Izuku stated matter-of-factly.

Hawks narrowed his eyes. 'So this kid isn't just some madman. He analyzed my actions in seconds and figured out why I was here. That’s dangerous. I need to report this.'

“Well, it doesn’t matter “ Hawks said, brushing it off. “You’re still going to jail.”

With that, he sent a flurry of razor-sharp feathers flying toward Izuku.

Izuku tried to dodge, but several feathers cut through his clothes, leaving shallow wounds. 'Damn it! His feathers are too fast for me to react!'

The fight continued for a few moments, Hawks relentlessly attacking while Izuku barely managed to avoid the worst of it.

“I thought you were stronger” Hawks taunted with a smirk.

'There’s no way this guy is struggling this much… but he does look like he’s having trouble. Beginner’s luck, maybe?' Hawks thought, observing the scene.

A feather slashed Izuku’s leg, slowing him down and causing him to take even more hits. 'Which ability can I use?! Wait… I just leveled up. Maybe that will help.'

As he dodged another set of feathers, he focused intensely, ignoring the cuts he received in the process.

'What is he planning?' Hawks wondered, gripping one of his katanas just in case.

Suddenly, Izuku smirked. 'Four new abilities… That’s awesome! What can they do? How can I combine them?' A feather sliced his cheek, snapping him back to focus. 'No time to experiment… Okay, yes! This should work.'

Closing his eyes, he activated a new ability.

'I can sense them. I can see them. Every feather, every person… even the tiniest insects nearby. Everything is so clear now.'

The moment his ability kicked in, Izuku began dodging the feathers effortlessly.

'I just need to use this until I find an opening to escape.'

Hawks narrowed his eyes. 'How did he suddenly start dodging so easily? He focused for a second, and now he’s moving like he’s Goku… What kind of Quirk is that?!'

Just then, a loud car horn blared from a nearby street. Hawks instinctively glanced toward the sound.

'Now’s my chance!'

Izuku fired an energy attack at Hawks and sprinted in the opposite direction.

Hawks barely dodged the attack and turned back, only to find Izuku had vanished. He searched the alleyway and surrounding areas for nearly an hour, but found nothing.

‘How did he improve so much mid-fight… and then disappear without a trace? I need to report this.’

Meanwhile, hidden inside a nearby dumpster, Izuku let out a quiet sigh of relief.

‘Finally, he’s gone. I’m so tired of hiding in dumpsters.’

After waiting ten more minutes, he climbed out and muttered to himself:

“I’ll lay low until the event… I’m not getting caught just yet.”

A grin spread across his face as he disappeared into the night.

---

The Day of the Robbery / The UA Entrance Exam Day

Akira, a bank manager, sighed as he leaned back in his chair. Today had been incredibly dull—no troublesome customers, no high-profile clients, nothing interesting at all.

‘I wish something exciting would happen.’

As if the universe had answered his call, three men suddenly burst into the bank. One of them, a man with red claws, shouted:

“If you move, you’re dead. If you call for help, you’re dead. This is a robbery! Everyone, on the ground, hands on your heads!”

As panic spread through the bank, the criminals made their way to Akira’s desk. A man with a scar grabbed him by the collar.

“Take us to the vault. Now.”

Akira swallowed hard and did as ordered, leading the scarred man and a blue-skinned accomplice toward the back. That left Izuku in charge of the hostages.

Izuku scanned the terrified people, his gaze filled with amusement.

One man near the entrance suddenly stood up and bolted for the door.

Izuku sighed.

“Oh no~ Trying to escape? Bad news.”

In a single swift motion, he slashed the man's throat. Blood gushed from the wound as the man collapsed, gurgling his last breaths.

Izuku grinned beneath his scarf. He then lifted the corpse for everyone to see.

“As I said… if you try anything,” his voice took on a playful yet menacing tone “you become my lunch.”

The hostages looked away in horror, unable to stomach the sight of the corpse.

Izuku turned his back on them and, without hesitation, sank his teeth into the dead man’s neck, drinking his blood.

When he finished, he wiped his mouth with his scarf and let the body drop to the floor.

“Anyone else?”

The terrified hostages remained silent, frozen in fear.

“No? Then don’t even think about trying anything. I’m ruthless.”

Izuku leaned against the counter, casually watching the windows as he waited for his partners to finish. But then…

“Stop right there, villain!”

Izuku barely had time to react before a blast of sand came flying at him. He jumped back, dodging just in time. When he looked up, he saw his attackers.

‘What a coincidence… Death Arms and Rocodile’s brother, Snatch.’

Izuku rolled his shoulders, his body tensing in anticipation.

“I'll give you one chance to walk away. If you don't… well, I’ll have to drink your blood.”

“We don’t surrender to villains like you, Redtooth!” Snatch shouted, his face full of determination.

Izuku grinned.

“Well, well~ Looks like I will have some fun today.”

He lunged at Death Arms, but Snatch intercepted him with another sand attack.

‘Damn… I need to deal with Sandy first. I can’t touch him normally, but with this new ability… I can.’

Izuku smirked as his arms darkened to a deep red hue.

He feinted an attack toward Death Arms, baiting Snatch into striking. Just as Snatch attacked, Izuku leaped over his sand strike and delivered a devastating punch to his face, sending him crashing into a nearby wall.

Snatch groaned as he struggled to his feet, his eyes filled with confusion.

“How did you punch me? I’m made of sand—it should’ve gone right through me!”

Izuku chuckled.

“I have my tricks. But don’t worry… after today, no one will ever punch you again.”

He launched himself at Death Arms once more. With Snatch too far away to assist, Death Arms had no choice but to brace himself. He crossed his arms in an X to block the incoming strike.

It didn’t matter.

Izuku's claws tore straight through his steel-reinforced arms, impaling him and pinning him against the wall.

Death Arms gasped in pain, his eyes wide in shock.

“H-How?! The plates in my arms… they’re made of steel! How did you cut through them like butter?!”

Izuku smirked.

“I told you… I have my tricks.”

He yanked down his scarf, revealing his bloodstained mouth. Then, without hesitation, he bit into Death Arms' neck and began drinking.

Death Arms convulsed, his body twitching as the life drained out of him. Moments later, he went limp.

Izuku pulled away, covering his mouth once more.

Just as he turned to face Snatch, another sand attack shot toward him from behind, trapping him.

“You’ll pay for every single one of your crimes, bastard!” Snatch growled, his voice filled with rage.

But before he could finish Izuku off, a powerful blast of sand struck him from the side, breaking his concentration and setting Izuku free.

Izuku turned to see a familiar figure standing at the entrance.

“We meet again, brother” Rocodile sneered, Binje standing beside him with several bags of stolen money.

Snatch clenched his fists in fury.

“This time, I won’t show mercy! I’ll take you down and send you to prison, broth-“

But before he could finish, Izuku's claws slashed through his throat.

“You talk too much.”

Snatch collapsed, blood pooling beneath him. Izuku crouched down, preparing to drink his blood, but—

“We need to go, now” Binje shouted from the entrance. “The police will be here any second!”

Izuku sighed, standing up.

“Fine, fine.”

He followed them outside and jumped into the getaway van.

As they sped away, he leaned back against the seat, looking at his new "allies."

“I must say, this was an interesting job. And you guys didn’t annoy me! So don’t worry, I won’t kill you.”

The criminals shivered at the mere thought of having to fight that kid.

Don Daming gulped.

“Good to know… Maybe we could rob another bank together sometime?”

Izuku shook his head.

“I had some fun today, but I prefer killing directly. So… no thanks.”

“Well, if you ever wanna work together again, just let us know” Binje laughed.

Izuku smirked to himself.

‘Maybe having teammates isn’t so bad… Not them, but perhaps others… with similar objectives.’

---

Meanwhile, Elsewhere…

A group of UA teachers watched as a blonde girl shielded another student from the Zero Pointer during the entrance exam.

‘Show them what you can do!’ Toshinori thought with a smile.

“That kid looks interesting” Nezu mused.

“What’s her name?” Vlad King asked.

Eraser Head flipped through the files, then spoke.

“Melissa Shield.”

Chapter Text

In a dimly lit bar on Kamino, Giran walked to the counter where a bartender, made of purple mist, stood. Giran approached and stood before him.

“Hey, Kurogiri,” Giran said with a grin. “I need to talk to All For One about something important.”

Before Kurogiri could respond, a voice emanated from a nearby monitor. “What is it that’s so important, Giran?” The voice was deep, commanding, and full of authority.

Giran walked toward the monitor. “I’m here to talk about the famous Redtooth.”

“Well, is he a problem? Or is he interesting?” AFO asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

“Interesting. Very interesting,” Giran replied with a smile. “He’s just a kid, though.”

AFO chuckled. “A kid, you say? How old is he?”

“Fifteen or sixteen. Already killed thirty-two people, and he’s drunk their blood after almost every kill,” Giran grinned wider.

AFO smirked to himself. “That’s interesting. But it has to be more, doesn’t it? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come all the way here.”

Giran leaned forward. “He’s not just some bloodthirsty maniac with fast reflexes and strength. He’s a strategist—quick, calculating. I saw a video of him fighting Hawks. He was losing at first, but then he started evading all of Hawks' attacks. He didn’t defeat him, but he tied with him.”

“Well, well…” AFO’s voice trailed off, considering the implications. “That kid could be useful for Tomura.”

Giran raised an eyebrow. “You want him in the League?”

AFO’s tone turned serious. “After the USJ attack, bring him here. Offer him a place in the League.”

Giran frowned at the suggestion. “I’m not sure he’ll join. I had to convince him not to kill his teammates during a bank robbery.”

AFO’s voice was calm. “Don’t worry. I think he’ll appreciate the offer. After the USJ attack, you’ll bring him here for about 500,000 yen. Your job is simple: bring him in. I trust you’ll handle it.”

Giran sighed. “How am I going to convince him?”

---

A Few Days Later

Izuku sat on the couch of a hotel room near Dagobah Beach, casually scrolling through TikTok while the TV played in the background.

“Breaking news,” the newscaster’s voice interrupted. “A group of villains calling themselves the League of Villains attacked UA High earlier this week. According to reports, they were targeting All Might…”

Izuku leaned forward, his eyes locked onto the screen.

“...Three main villains have been identified: a man in black named Shigaraki, a mist-based villain named Kurogiri, and a grotesque creature known as Nomu. The latter fought All Might and gave him a fight before being apprehended. More details are developing.”

Izuku turned off the TV, a grin spreading across his face. “The League of Villains… If they have the power to take on All Might, I want in.”

He quickly pulled out his phone and sent a message to Giran, asking for a meeting the next day.

---
The Next Day

Giran entered the warehouse to find Izuku sitting at the poker table, his eyes fixed on his phone.

“Hey there,” Giran greeted. “I heard your robbery went well, but didn’t two heroes show up? That must have been a flaw in your plan, no?”

Izuku smiled without looking up. “I knew at least two heroes would show up at that time. I didn’t know which ones, but I planned for it. It worked out.”

Giran sat down in front of him, intrigued. “Well, there’s someone who wants to talk to you about joining his group.”

Izuku didn’t miss a beat. “If it’s the League of Villains, I’m in. If not, I’m not interested.”

Giran’s smile grew wider. “You’re in luck. This man is the mentor of the League’s leader. But be warned—he’s no joke. All Might almost died fighting him.”

Izuku raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Why’d he wait six years to act? If he’s that strong, why hasn’t he done anything until now?”

Giran looked at him, surprised. “How did you know it was six years ago?”

Izuku smirked. “I know about the villain who injured All Might badly. If this guy almost killed him, it’s the same one.”

“That’s right. As for why he waited… maybe it was to recover or to gather powerful allies. I don’t have the details,” Giran explained.

Izuku’s grin widened. “I’ll join. I want to kill All Might, and I’ll join whatever team helps me do that.”

Giran chuckled. “You’ll have to be accepted by the leader, but with your charisma, it should be easy.”

Izuku flashed a dramatic smile. “Well, I can’t say I’m not charismatic. Tell me when we meet.”

“It’ll be the day before the UA Sports Festival,” Giran said as he stood up. “Meet me here. We’ve got someone who can teleport.”

As Giran started to leave, he paused and added, “One more thing: if the leader doesn’t like you, he’ll scratch his neck and try to kill you. Be careful. But don’t kill him—if you do, you’ll have the worst criminal on your back.”

Izuku grinned. ‘All Might… I’m coming for you.’

---

The Day Before the Sports Festival

Shigaraki sat in front of a TV, his hands poised over the controller, using only four of his fingers in each hand. He was playing a Pokémon game, trying to beat a tough gym leader.

Giran, Kurogiri, and Izuku arrived via a purple portal, stepping into the bar. Izuku immediately scanned the room and then looked over at Shigaraki, who didn’t seem to acknowledge him.

“So, you’re the guy I have to convince to join?” Izuku asked, a grin forming on his face.

Shigaraki didn’t look away from the screen. Izuku waited a few seconds before sitting next to him, his eyes focused on the game.

“If you want to beat that gym leader, start with Pikachu and use electric moves,” Izuku suggested. “Then switch to your main strategy.”

Shigaraki briefly glanced at Izuku, his interest piqued. “But it’s a Fire-type gym. Shouldn’t I start with Poliwrath?”

Izuku shook his head. “Poliwrath would be a good choice if the first Pokémon wasn’t a Talonflame. It’s faster and would knock out Poliwrath with a flying move before it could even use Water Gun. Pikachu, on the other hand, could survive and use electric attacks, which Talonflame is weak to.”

Shigaraki smirked. “You know your stuff. Alright, you’re almost in. But tell me, why do you want to join?”

Izuku’s eyes narrowed, his voice dripping with hatred. “I want to kill All Might. I want to impale his old wound with my claws and twist it while he begs for mercy.”

Shigaraki’s grin grew even wider. “You and I are going to get along just fine.”

He extended his hand, four fingers outstretched. Izuku met his handshake with a firm grip, his grin matching Shigaraki’s.

“I look forward to it,” Izuku said with cold excitement.

---
Later That Night

Kurogiri had shown Izuku to his room, and now the two sat in the living room. Izuku glanced over at Shigaraki, who was back to his game.

“Hey, Shigaraki,” Izuku asked, “does your quirk spread to other things, or just the stuff you touch?”

Shigaraki, focused on his game, answered distractedly, “Just the things I touch.”

Izuku smiled. “Well, my quirk’s like a game. The more people I drink from, the stronger I get. I even get new abilities.”

Shigaraki chuckled. “Sounds a bit OP, don’t you think?”

Izuku’s grin never wavered. “It is. But who are we to complain?”

Shigaraki snickered and returned to his game. Izuku leaned back, eyes narrowing as he thought, 'Let’s see how far you go, Shigaraki.'

Chapter Text

Midoriya and Shigaraki were on the bar playing Mario Kart, when All For One called from the monitor “Red”

Both stopped playing immediately and clumsily stood in front of the monitor “Yes, All For One?” Answered Red cautiously 

“I have a mission for you to complete, you must go to the sports festival and analyze the hero students from all three years, especially first year” said All For One

“Ok, I don’t think it will be a much of a challenge” said Midoriya with a smile

——————

Midoriya was in front of UA with blue jeans, a red shirt, a black hoodie, blond hair and his green eyes, he chuckles before thinking ‘Who would think I was going to be at The UA one day’

He entered the building as the other guests and took a sit on the first row, he took out his notebook and waited for the festival to start ‘I think is a little stupid to show their powers and abilities to the world… is literally the reason of why I am here’ Midoriya thought and chuckled

The festival started with a few words from Bakugo, he looked at the public and said “I will be the best, just watch me”

Many people in the audience didn’t like the little speech including Midoriya ‘He is still a dumbass’ he thought while closing his fist in anger

The first event went naturally without anything too interesting to note, ‘The only ones powerful enough to be a problem is Bakugo, Endeavor’s son, and that blond girl,' he thought while writing about the hero students 

The second event was a better show off, he saw more of others like the gravity girl who looked interesting, and the kid with purple hair ‘Shinso… he isn’t from the hero course but looks like he has a strong quirk, from what I've seen it looks like brainwashing’ he wrote something on his notebook about him ‘also, the Todoroki guy doesn’t uses his fire, I wonder why’

There was a break before the final event so he sneaked into the students area, he checked some rooms and stumble upon a room with the gravity girl “Hello, I’m Akasaku” greeted Midoriya

The girl was surprised from his presence but returned the greeting “Hello, I am Uraraka, uh… do you need something? I haven’t seen you around UA, in which class are you?” 

Midoriya shake his hands in front of him “Well I am not from UA, but you were the one I was looking for” he lies ‘I was looking for the Todoroki kid, but find her, who will fight Bakugo, works for me’ he thought

“Huh? Why” asked Uraraka while tilting her head

“Well, I have known Kacchan since I was a child so I think I could help you to beat him” he answered, regretting the slip of the old nickmame. 

“Kacchan? Oh! You mean Bakugo! Well, I don’t think I can beat him but I have to try for myself if I want to prove I can do it alone” said Uraraka with determination 

‘She has determination’ thought Midoriya and then smiled “Very well, I hope you win. Good luck!” he said while leaving

He had to get back to the stands, to see the start of the third event. The fight between the brainwasher and the blond girl was interesting, ‘He is insulting her, making her talk, and she doesn’t respond. That means that he has a brainwashing ability that works through responding him. He must be in general course because his quirk doesn’t work on robots’ thought Midoriya while writing, that event was won by the blonde girl and Shinso didn’t seem to prove his potential to the heroes. But for Midoriya he did.

The next rounds Midoriya didn’t had anything extraordinary to write, the Todoroki kid still didn’t use his fire but he didn’t need it. The crow boy had a very interesting quirk. The vines girl had a very powerful quirk. The girl with pink hair was problematic and a genius -Midoriya considered recruiting her-. And so on, until it got to Uraraka vs Bakugo.

The fight was one sided to Bakugo, he attacked without compassion, even tho Uraraka made a few good tricks, Bakugo ended up winning. ‘So bad, I wish she could have beat him’ thought Midoriya while sighing

The next round was the most interesting of them all, it was Melissa Shield-Midoriya saw her name on the screen- against Todoroki, she moved faster than the ice so she hasn’t been damaged yet ‘I see yellow energy on her body, maybe a speed quirk?’ Thought Midoriya 

Todoroki tried to corner her but she destroyed the ice with a flick of her finger, breaking her finger ‘So is super strength, but is too powerful for her body. A late boomer maybe?’

The fight went on and on, exchanging ice and flick of fingers, when Melissa got an opening, launched herself and punched Todoroki out of the ring. ‘He would have won if he had use his fire’ thought Midoriya while writing, he had already written 20 pages of the festival

Midoriya got up and went to search the Todoroki kid, after some time of searching he found him on one of the rooms for the participants, sitting there “Hi there” said Midoriya

Todoroki quickly got up and took a defensive pose “Who are you?” Asked Todoroki

Midoriya raised his hands showing no bad intentions “I am Akasaku, and I wanted to know why you didn’t use fire to beat the blonde girl” said Izuku with curiosity 

“I won’t use his fire” answered Todoroki dryly while looking directly on Midoriya’s green eyes

“You mean Endeavor’s?” asked Midoriya

“Yes, I won’t be like him, I won’t use his fire” answered Todoroki

Midoriya thinks for a moment ‘This could be convenient’ then says “Well, if I were you, I would use his fire to do the opposite of what he wants”

“What do you mean?” Asked Todoroki

Midoriya smirks and starts leaving, when he is at the door he says without looking back “I will let you discover that by yourself” 

He goes back to the stands where he got to see the last fight between the Iida kid and Bakugo, ‘Melissa must be too injured to continue’ 

The fight was one sided by a lot, Bakugo didn’t even tried and easily defeated the other boy, Bakugo started shouting things about, “not a good fight” or “Blondy or Half and Half had to be here”

When they were giving the awards Bakugo was chained like a dog, a sight that made Midoriya smile ‘Just what you deserve’ 

The crow kid was in third place, Melissa was in second because Iida needed to go, and Bakugo was in first place. When All Might arrived Midoriya leaved the place, he didn’t want to see that bastard.

——————

One hour later, Midoriya arrived to the usal bar were he found Shigaraki playing as usual and Kurogiri cleaning some glasses.

“Hey Kurogiri, could you give AFO this please?” Asked Midoriya to Kurogiri who nodded -at least that’s what Midoriya understood-, and grabbed the notebook, disappearing in his mist

Midoriya sat next to Shigaraki and grabbed a second controller, ‘Maybe I will recruit some people from UA’ he thought while grinning.

Chapter Text

Bakugo was preparing for his training session with the number four hero. His time at UA had been far from what he expected. Icy Hot had done better than him in the first test with All Might, and only lost to Blondie at the Sports Festival because he didn’t use his fire. Bakugo had won, but it wasn’t the win he wanted. Blondie and Icy Hot should have been in the finals so Bakugo could prove he was the strongest. But instead, they forced him to take the medal, chaining him like a dog.

That Blondie was the most annoying of them all, yet Bakugo couldn’t fully understand why. He’d always hated anyone who talked to him,  but there was something about her that got under his skin.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Deep down, Bakugo knew why. Shield reminded him of Deku—someone with an unbreakable will, a nerd who wanted to be a hero no matter what. That similarity made Bakugo angry. But it also made him sad, bringing back memories of his dead friend.

“Was I even his friend?” he wondered, but those thoughts quickly vanished. No matter what, Bakugo would be the number one hero. No one was going to stop him.

---

Meanwhile, in Kamino, Midoriya was preparing to meet All For One. He’d never seen him before, nor did he fully understand his quirk, but he knew All For One was one of the most dangerous and powerful villains in the world.

“Are you ready, Young Red?” Kurogiri asked, his voice as calm and collected as ever.

“Yeah. Ready as I could be when I’m about to meet one of the most dangerous men alive,” Midoriya replied, his tone cautious.

Shigarakli chuckled from the background. “Just don’t piss him off, or you’ll be dead.”

“Thanks for the support,” Midoriya said sarcastically, though his mind was more focused on the thought, ‘I wonder if Sir Death would revive me again if things go wrong?’

As they stepped through the portal, they emerged in a warehouse filled with Nomus. At the far end, in a chair that seemed more like a throne, was sitting a man with no eyes, nose, or ears.  Midoriya had to choke out a laugh—All For One looked like a giant thumb. But he quickly shook that thought off.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you in person, Redtooth,” All For One greeted, his voice surprisingly warm. “Giran and Tomura have spoken highly of you.”

“Good things, I hope” Midoriya responded with a grin, trying to keep the atmosphere light.

All For One chuckled, his voice tinged with amusement. “I have great plans for you. I expect great things from you as well. But something intrigues me... How did you acquire your quirk?”

Midoriya paused, considering how much to reveal. ‘He knows my face, if I show my face to a man with this kind of power, it’ll probably be easy for him to figure out my identity, it’s obvious he knows already’ he thought. After a moment, he replied, “It’s a long story, one I’d prefer to keep a secret for now. At least until I make my big reveal.”

“I respect your privacy,” All For One said, leaning back. “But let me offer something. With your intellect, my doctor would be very pleased if you worked alongside him for scientific research.” Said All For One changing the subject

Midoriya raised an eyebrow. ‘Doctor? Must be the one keeping All For One alive... or maybe he’s the one making the Nomus,’ he thought before nodding “I’m not an expert in that area, but I learn quickly.”

All For One grinned, as if anticipating this response. “We’ll see how quickly you learn. But now, I have another proposition for you.” He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “What if I offered you the position of my successor instead of Tomura?”

Without hesitation, Midoriya replied, “I’d decline. I don’t want to lead. I don’t want to take anything from Shigaraki either. I'll remain loyal to him, help him achieve his dream: to destroy everything we don’t like. And then, rebuild it however we please.”

All For One regarded him thoughtfully, clearly impressed by Midoriya´s answer. ‘Who would’ve guessed this kid would turn down such an offer?’ he thought, although his expression remained neutral.

“Well said,” All For One replied. “But we’ll talk about that later. Let’s move on to other matters. I’ve reviewed your notes on UA students. Your analytical abilities are... quite impressive.”

“It’s an honor to receive a compliment from someone like you,” Izuku said, his tone respectful but guarded.

“As a token of my regard,” All For One continued, “I’ll share a bit of information with you. About my quirk. And my brother’s quirk.”

Midoriya´s eyes widened. ‘He has a brother? Who is he?’

“My quirk is as my villain name suggests: All For One. It allows me to take quirks from others, use them, and even give them to others,” All For One explained.

Midoriya´s eyes lit up with understanding. “That’s a Type 6 quirk! With that, you could become immortal and invincible—if you collect the right quirks.”

All For One nodded. “Yes, but my brother’s quirk—One For All—is the one I truly desire. However, it’s difficult to steal.”

Midoriya´s thoughts raced. “One For All? It sounds like the opposite of your quirk. If All For One is about taking quirks, then One For All must be about passing it on. A quirk that can be inherited.”

All For One gave a faint smile. “Correct. And All Might holds that quirk. But it’s not easy to take.”

Midoriya blinked. ‘All Might didn’t even have a quirk to begin with...’ The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. ‘He was just like me...’

He clenched his fists, a deep anger rising within him. “He’s a hypocrite. He said I couldn’t be a hero without a quirk... but he wanted to be one himself without one. I’ll kill that bastard.”

All For One smirked, sensing the depth of Izuku’s rage. “Go back to Tomura. Let’s make some chaos. Destroy this society that worships All Might.”

Midoriya´s eyes burned with determination. “I will.” He turned and walked toward the portal.

---

Midoriya stepped out of the portal, his mind still seething with anger. He turned and greeted his friend. “Shigaraki, we need to act fast. We need to kill All Might.”

Shigaraki didn’t even ask how the meeting had gone. Instead, he looked at Midoriya and smirked. “What’s your plan?”

Midoriya grinned darkly. “We need to recruit more powerful members. We’ll build our strength, gain fame, and create even more chaos.”

Shigaraki laughed, already on board. “I think Stain should be our first recruit.” then looked at Kurogiri and commanded “Go search for him”

Kurogiri nodded and disappeared through a portal to find Stain.

---

The following days, Midoriya had been spending his time learning from the doctor and playing games with Shigaraki. But today, Kurogiri returned with news: Stain was on his way.

The purple portal appeared in the corner of the bar, and Stain stepped through, his cold eyes scanning the room. Kurogiri quickly went to clean some glasses.

Shigaraki leaned back, a mocking grin on his face. “So, you’re the famous Hero Killer? I expected more.”

Midoriya watched from a distance, his eyes narrowed in thought. ‘He’s a maniac, plain and simple. He kills heroes for his own twisted sense of justice.’

Stain’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t have time for games. If you don’t have anything useful for me, I’ll leave.”

Kurogiri quickly intervened, trying to defuse the tension. “Please listen. We have the same enemies. We want to change the world.”

Shigaraki scoffed. “I see a lunatic who thinks he’s better than everyone else.”

Stain’s eyes flared with anger. “The world of heroes is rotten. Only the true heroes must remain. The rest must be purged.”

Midoriya could feel the tension building in the room. He could already tell this wouldn’t go smoothly. Shigaraki sneered. “And what? You think you’re some divine judge, killing heroes just because you can? That’s stupid.”

“At least I have conviction,” Stain retorted, stepping forward. “What is your purpose?”

“To destroy All Might and everything he represents!” Shigaraki shouted, his voice dripping with venom.

“You’re just a kid, destroying everything for no reason. You’re no different from those fake heroes,” Stain spat back.

Without warning, Shigaraki lunged at Stain, but the older man was faster, pinning him to the floor with one of his swords pressed to his shoulder.

“I’ll purge you,” Stain said with fury. “You don’t understand what All Might represents.”

Midoriya was done listening. He rushed forward, grabbing Stain by the neck and throwing him into the wall. His voice was cold, filled with venom. “You want to talk about All Might like he’s a hero? You don’t even know what you’re saying. Because of him, I’m here. Because of him, people died. He’s no hero.”

He glared at Stain with pure hatred. “I have a purpose. To kill all the so-called heroes, to destroy this rotten society, and rebuild it as we see fit. That’s my purpose.”

With Stain stunned, Midoriya walked to Kurogiri. “Take him back to Hosu.”

---

Kurogiri teleported Satin to a rooftop, and Midoriya watched as he went away, “Sooo, what now?”

Shigaraki grinned and answered “I already asked some Nomus from Sensei, lets see if Stain dies in the chaos” Midoriya smiled and nodded

After some minutes Kurogiri brought three Nomus, and set them free.

Time passed and they just stayed there waiting, when Midoriya glimpsed a helicopter of the news that was recording them, ‘Looks like I am going to be recognized to work with the league’ he thought.

Midoriya checked on the Nomus using his observation ability and saw that only one was remaining, as for Stain, he was fighting against Shield, Iida and an old man in a yellow suit, and it seemed that he was losing.

“We should go, there is only one Nomu remaining” said Izuku

“Tch, okey,” said Shigaraki, a little angry.

They went back at the bar, and without them knowing, Stain had left a message to the world that would make waves among people, and it would link back to them.

---

Elsewhere in the city, a blonde girl with fangs smiled as she watched a video about Stain and the League.

“Redtooth is in that league... If I join, maybe he’ll give me some of his blood,” she muttered to herself giddly.

---

A burned man, watching the same video, thought bitterly, ‘The League of Villains shares the right ideals. Stain’s ideals. Maybe I should join.’

---

A lizard-like man smiles at the video with tears of happiness in his eyes. “I want to be someone like him. I must follow his path,” he said to himself.

---

Midoriya sat back at the bar, watching the video of Stain’s message. He looked at the white-haired young man. “Shigaraki, I think we’re going to have a new party for the next level” he said with a smile on his face

Chapter Text

Midoriya sat on the couch, waiting for Giran to arrive. He was bringing two new recruits, so both Shigaraki and Midoriya needed to be there. They were dressed in casual clothes, blending into the dimly lit bar.

After several minutes of waiting, Midoriya sighed and stood up. "Yeah, he’s taking too long. I’m going to the bathroom," he said to Shigaraki before leaving the room.

Just moments later, the door swung open, and Giran stepped inside, accompanied by a man covered in burn scars and a blonde girl wearing a school uniform. The recruits scanned the bar, the girl’s eyes actively searching for something—or someone.

"So, you brought me a brat and a burned man?" Shigaraki scoffed, visibly unimpressed.

Giran smirked. "They’re some of the best out there."

"Tch." Tomura rolled his eyes before turning his attention to the newcomers. "And you two—what are your names, and why do you want to join?"

The scarred man crossed his arms. "You can call me Dabi. I admire Stain’s ideology. That’s why I’m here."

Then, the girl stepped forward with an excited smile. "I’m Toga Himiko! And I’m here to—"

She suddenly paused as the door at the back of the bar opened. Midoriya re-entered the room, and the moment her eyes landed on him, they sparkled with excitement. Without hesitation, she lunged at him, knife in hand.

Midoriya swiftly dodged her attack and, in a blur, pressed his claws against her neck in warning. "Why is one of the recruits attacking me?" He glanced at Giran, then back at Toga. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice calm but firm.

Toga turned to face him, cheeks flushed with excitement. "I want your blood~"

Midoriya raised an eyebrow, momentarily surprised, before relaxing. "Oh, just that? Why didn’t you just ask?" He withdrew his claws and rolled up his sleeve. "Go ahead, use your fangs. Take what you need."

Toga’s eyes widened. "Really?" she asked, her voice dripping with anticipation.

Midoriya shrugged. "Yeah, I don’t care."

Without hesitation, she stepped closer, sinking her teeth into his shoulder, blushing as she drank. "Drink as much as you want," Midoriya muttered, watching her curiously.

Toga wrapped her arms around him in a sudden hug, causing Midoriya's face to heat up.

"Who would’ve thought a killer with thirty bodies under his belt would blush over a hug?" Kurogiri remarked from behind the counter.

Midoriya shot him a look. "Oh, so now you have a sense of humor."

Meanwhile, Shigaraki scratched his neck furiously, irritation evident on his face. ‘Ugh, everyone’s obsessed with Red and Stain. But what about me? I orchestrated the Hosu attack. I nearly killed All Might. And yet, no one acknowledges me.’ Frustrated, he stood up and stormed out of the bar.

Midoriya watched him go before gently prying Toga off. "I’m going to talk to Shigaraki. I’ll be back later."

Toga pouted as she watched him leave.

"I’ll show you to your rooms," Kurogiri said, gesturing for the recruits to follow.

---

Midoriya caught up with Shigaraki at a nearby mall. "Hey, what’s wrong?" he asked, walking alongside him.

"Tch, everyone keeps talking about you and Stain, but no one talks about me!" Shigaraki snapped. "I attacked U.A., I attacked Hosu! Why do they acknowledge you instead of me?" He glared at Midoriya, waiting for an answer.

Midoriya tilted his head, gazing at the ceiling in thought. "You should expand your ideology. I saw it and joined you. Maybe others just don’t understand what they’re missing. Make them know your name. Make them respect it. Fear it. And then, everyone will look at you."

Shigaraki chuckled. "You always know how to lift my mood," he said, bumping Midoriya's shoulder.

As they wandered through the mall, they spotted a group of U.A. students. Shigaraki grinned. "Why don’t we take things up a notch with one of them?"

Midoriya smirked. "Alright, but I get to choose."

Shigaraki nodded. "Who’s the target?"

Midoriya's eyes landed on a particular student. "Hmm… how about the frog girl? I wonder if her blood tastes different."

Shigaraki chuckled. "Alright, lets wait for her to separate from the group."

After a few moments, Tsuyu Asui wandered into a shoe store alone. Midoriya stood up, stretching. "Let’s get this party started."

They followed her until she was far from other people. Midoriya approached casually. "Hey, I think I got lost. Know any good restaurants that serve frog dishes?"

Asui turned, instantly recognizing him. Her eyes widened. "Redtooth!" she shouted, leaping backward.

Midoriya groaned. "Ugh, did you really have to make it dramatic?"

"Where’s the fun in being subtle?" Midoriya quipped before chasing after Asui.

She moved quickly, her agility making it difficult for Midoriya to catch her. Parkouring through the store, she stayed ahead, forcing Midoriya to push himself.

"Would you stop moving for just a second?!" he called out in frustration.

Moments later, Shigaraki sighed. "We should go. The heroes will be here soon."

Midoriya clicked his tongue but relented. "Well well~ see you around, frog girl. I still want to taste that blood of yours," he said with a grin before retreating with Shigaraki.

As they made their way to the exit, Shigaraki sent a quick text. A second later, a purple portal opened. Shigaraki stepped in immediately, but as Midoriya followed, his gaze landed on Bakugo.

The sight of him made Midoriya's blood boil. Without thinking, he gathered energy, his arm glowing dark red before he launched an energy attack larger than any before. Bakugo barely dodged in time, eyes wide with shock. But he didn’t recognize Midoriya.

Midoriya didn’t linger. He turned and stepped into the portal without looking back.

---

Back at the bar, Shigaraki slumped onto the couch. "Well, that was a waste of time."

Midoriya chuckled. "At least we stirred up some chaos. That’s always fun."

Toga was sitting nearby, watching Midoriya with sparkling eyes. He turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "Do you want more blood, or why are you staring at me like that?"

She beamed. "You’re the first person to ever offer me their blood."

Dabi scoffed, sipping his soda. "Get a room."

Midoriya blushed. "Shut up, you cheap Endeavor!"

Tomura chuckled, and Toga giggled, but Dabi’s expression darkened. "Don’t. Ever. Compare me to Endeavor," he said, his voice cold as ice.

Midoriya's eyes narrowed. ‘That look—I’ve seen it before. In Todoroki’s eyes. A fire user, covered in burns, hates Endeavor…’ He started piecing it together. ‘Endeavor had three sons, all with ice quirks. But there was a fourth… who supposedly died in a fire caused by his quirk. By now, he’d be around his age. Toya Todoroki…’

After a moment, Midoriya smirked. "Okay, my bad. Let me make it up to you." He leaned in slightly. "I promise you. We’ll burn Endeavor and his reputation to the ground—even if he’s already in flames."

Dabi stared at him before smirking. "You sure know how to convince people, don’t you?"

"Yeah, he does," Shigaraki agreed.

"I have my tricks." Midoriya grinned before grabbing a game controller. "Now, while we wait for more recruits—who’s up for a game?"

Dabi chuckled. "First day in the League, and this is my initiation?"

Shigaraki smirked. "You know I never back down."

Toga giggled. "Only if I sit next to you~"

Midoriya sighed. ‘Yeah, they’ll be loyal. My plans won’t change because of them.’ He smirked, starting the game.

Chapter Text

The following days, more people joined the League. One day, Izuku went to Tomura’s room to talk to him.

"Hey, Shigaraki," he said, tossing some papers onto the bed. "Here’s the analysis on the new members you asked for."

Shigaraki paused his game, grabbed the papers, and started reading. The files read:

---

Dabi

Quirk: Blue Fire – Stronger than Endeavor’s, but it burns his own body. Class 5.

Motives: Kill Endeavor.

Loyalty: If we keep our promise to destroy Endeavor, he'll be completely loyal.

Himiko Toga

Quirk: Transformation – Can transform into someone depending on the amount of blood she consumes of them. Can't copy quirks. Redtooth's blood does not work for unknown reasons. Class 4.

Motives: Redtooth fan

Loyalty: As long as I stay in the League and give her my blood, she'll be completely loyal.

"Tch, looks like you already have a girlfriend," Tomura muttered with a grin.

"Shut up!" Izuku whined.

---

Jin Bubaigawara (Twice)

Quirk: Twice – Can create two clones of anyone as long as he knows their exact body dimensions. Clones retain the quirk of the original. Theoretically, he can clone himself infinitely, but due to trauma, he doesn’t. Class 6, downgraded to Class 5 due to his mental condition.

Motives: Just wants to be around crazy people.

Loyalty: If we befriend him, he will be loyal. I don’t mind being his friend.

Magne

Quirk: Magnetism – Can create magnetic fields around people. Women are negative, men are positive. Works only on living beings but is powerful with teamwork. Class 4.

Motives: Wants an easier life and to change hero society.

Loyalty: Values camaraderie. As long as we don’t betray her, she won’t betray us.

Sōgo Seta (Spinner)

Quirk: Lizard Tail Split – Mutant-type quirk that gives him a lizard-like appearance and allows him to stick to walls. Class 2. Relies on swords tied together rather than his quirk.

Motives: Wants to follow Stain’s ideology.

Loyalty: Unknown. If he learns we don’t share Stain’s beliefs, he may leave.

Kōtarō Utsushi (Mustard)

Quirk: Nerve – Generates and controls a gas that knocks out anyone who breathes it, including himself. Can sense movement within the gas. Class 4.

Motives: Wants to belong somewhere.

Loyalty: If we accept him as one of us, he'll be loyal.

Tomoya Tsuji (Mr. Compress)

Quirk: Compression – Can compress anything he touches into a small blue ball and later decompress it. Class 4.

Motives: Wants to change society.

Loyalty: Unknown.

Moonfish

Quirk: Sharp Teeth – Can grow and control his teeth, which are durable but not unbreakable. Class 4.

Motives: Wants human flesh.

Loyalty: Low. If someone offers him more flesh, he’ll switch sides. May not follow orders well.

Koku Hanabira (Muscular)

Quirk: Muscle Augmentation – Allows him to grow additional muscle mass, greatly enhancing his strength. Class 5.

Motives: Craves blood and violence.

Loyalty: Very low. May abandon us when he gets bored and might ignore direct orders.

---

After reading, Tomura smirked. "Well, it’s a good start, don’t you think? These recruits look promising."

"Yeah, the only ones I don’t like are Muscular and Moonfish. They’re just violent with no standards," Izuku replied.

"Well, the attack is in two weeks. Why don’t we do something while we wait?" Tomura suggested.

Izuku grinned. "I’ve got an idea for some fun."

---

Everyone except Moonfish and Muscular was in the bar when Izuku entered, slamming the door. "Who wants to take a trip to I-Island with Shigaraki and me?"

Toga immediately jumped up, raising her hand. "Me! Me!"

Tomura, standing next to Izuku, whispered just loud enough for him to hear, "First date or what?"

Izuku blushed but ignored him. "Three of you can come. And the selection will be… Rock-paper-scissors!"

"Wonderful. I join a villain group, and they play video games and rock-paper-scissors," Dabi mumbled.

After a few rounds, Toga, Mr. Compress, and Dabi—who tried to lose multiple times—won.

"Twice, why did you use scissors four times in a row when I kept using rock?" Dabi complained.

"I don’t know!" Twice answered proudly.

Izuku smiled at the group. "Shigaraki and Dabi will wear face masks, and Mr. Compress won’t wear his. That way, no one will recognize us."

"We leave tomorrow."

---

As the son raised Toga, Dabi, Mr. Compress, Tomura, and Izuku stood at the bar in civilian clothes as Kurogiri prepared a portal.

"Well, Kurogiri, can you make a portal to I-Island?" Izuku asked.

"Of course, young Red," Kurogiri replied before opening a portal.

They stepped through, emerging in an alleyway on I-Island. Izuku turned to the group. "So, where do you wanna go first? What do you wanna do?"

"Let’s have fun first, then cause some chaos!" Toga cheered, raising her hand excitedly.

"Okay, where do you want to go?" Izuku asked with a smile.

"And why is your girlfriend the one deciding?" Tomura teased, crossing his arms.

"S-she’s not my girlfriend, Handy-man!" Izuku stammered, blushing.

"Let’s go check out the new tech!" Toga said, grabbing Izuku’s wrist and dragging him along.

The group explored cutting-edge technology, ate, played pool, and ended up at a robot-destruction challenge.

"Our next contestant, Katsuki Bakugo!" the announcer called.

Izuku flinched. It was barely noticeable to most, but Tomura caught it.

"Hey, Red," Tomura said, glancing at him. "You know that explosive brat?"

Izuku stayed silent for a moment before answering. "Yeah. We knew each other as kids... Not in a friendly way."

Toga frowned. "We should kill him. No one messes with Red and gets away with it."

"Thanks, Toga, but not now. I’m curious how he’ll react in the future," Izuku replied.

As the night fell, Toga pouted. "So now what? We can’t get into the I-Expo."

Izuku grinned. "Well, three kind gentlemen gave me their passes." He pulled out three tickets and thought 'Lets see how much time it takes then to find the bodies'

Toga’s eyes sparkled. "Thank you!" she cheered, hugging him.

Blushing, Izuku looked away. "N-no problem."

Mr. Compress smirked. "What a lovely couple"

"Shut up, magician clown!" Izuku shot back, pulling away from Toga. "Who’s coming to the I-Expo?"

"I’ll be busy stealing things," Mr. Compress said.

"I’ll help him,” Tomura added with a grin after getting and idea

Izuku raised an eyebrow. "Huh… didn’t expect that." He turned to Toga and Dabi. "Looks like it’s just us. Go change into something formal. We’ll meet at the entrance."

"Okay!" Toga and Dabi agreed.

---

Toga arrived at the entrance of the I-Expo in a red dress and found some UA students waiting there as well. She didn’t have anything to do, so she approached a girl in a pink dress.

“Hey there, what’s your name?” asked Toga.

The girl turned around to see Toga. “Huh? Oh, my name’s Uraraka Ochaco. Nice to meet you,” she answered with a smile.

Toga smiled back. “Toga Himiko, nice to meet you too, Ochaco.”

“Well, who are you waiting for?” asked Uraraka.

“Two friends of mine,” answered Toga.

“Yeah, we’re waiting for two people too,” said Uraraka.

They were quiet for a moment before Toga asked, “Do you wanna talk about the boys we like?”

Uraraka blinked, surprised by the sudden odd question, then said, “Okay, but I don’t like anyone.”

“Well, I do. One of the two friends I’m waiting for,” Toga said.

“Yeah? What’s he like?” asked Uraraka with curiosity.

“Well, he’s been very nice, funny, and handsome,” said Toga, blushing.

“You really seem to like him,” said Uraraka kindly.

“Yes! I like his red eyes a lot. It’s my favorite color,” added Toga.

They continued talking when Melissa and the others noticed Toga and turned to talk to her. “Hi, my name is Melissa Shield. You can call me Melissa. This is Yaoyorozu, Kaminari, Jirou, Iida, Todoroki, Mineta, and you already know Uraraka,” said Melissa.

Everyone greeted Toga, and she did the same. After a while of talking, Dabi and Izuku arrived—Izuku in a green suit, his blue scarf, green hair, and red eyes, and Dabi in a dark suit, a red scarf covering his wounds, and sunglasses hiding the wounds beneath his eyes.

“Hi, Toga! Sorry for being late. This grumpy candle didn’t want to wear formal clothes, and it took a while to convince him,” said Izuku with a smile.

Uraraka whispered to Toga, “I see what you mean, he is funny.”

Toga giggled, then said to Izuku, “Don’t worry.” She then turned to the group and introduced them: Izuku as Akao Reiji and Dabi as Dabi Homura.

They talked for a while when Dabi—who had been quiet the entire conversation—said, “We should get going, don’t you think?”

Izuku looked at him. ‘He must not be in the mood because of Todoroki,’ he thought, then said, “Well, yeah, we shou—”

Suddenly, metal doors slammed shut nearby, and a red light appeared. ‘I don’t think that was Shigaraki and Mr. Compress,’ thought Izuku.

“Those are the security systems activating. Some villains might have breached the island!” said a worried Melissa.

“We should check how they’re doing inside. I think there’s a window at the top. Let’s see,” said Yaoyorozu.

“Yeah, there is. Follow me,” replied Melissa, heading toward some nearby stairs, with everyone following. They reached the top of the room, where they could see heroes and scientists being held hostage by several villains. Even All Might was there.

Izuku flinched at the sight of All Might and clenched his fists in anger, but no one noticed except for Toga, who grabbed his wrist and gave him a comforting smile, making him blush.

They decided to go to floor 200 and stop the villains.

“You should stay here,” said Melissa to Izuku’s group.

“Yes, I agree. We’re heroes in training. You’re just civilians. The best thing is for you to stay here,” said Yaoyorozu.

“Okay, we will,” Izuku responded almost immediately, though Toga puffed her cheeks in disagreement.

The UA students started their journey, leaving Toga, Dabi, and Izuku alone.

“Why didn’t we go?” asked Toga.

“Well, if we attack Todoroki and Melissa at the same time, it might be more difficult than if we attack them separately. So, we’re going to take a shortcut, wait for them to disperse, and then attack,” answered Izuku.

“And what’s this shortcut you know about?” asked Dabi with a raised eyebrow.

“The elevator, of course. We’ll climb it; they always have some stairs next to it,” said Izuku.

They went to the nearest elevator and started climbing. After climbing a bit the elevator began to rise, Izuku thought, ‘Just as planned.’ He knew the cameras would spot them, and the villains would likely try to kill them by crushing the elevator.

“Jump to the elevator!” shouted Izuku. They followed his command and began climbing as the elevator ascended.

When they reached floor 180, the elevator stopped.

“Now what?” asked Dabi.

“Now we’ll go to the top. There, we’ll split up to attack the students and help the villains,” said Izuku with a grin.

At the top floor, they found two scientists and three villains, with the largest one, wearing a metal mask, facing them.

“Turn back, brats, or I’ll kill you,” the man with the mask warned.

Izuku walked slowly toward him. “But we’re not here to disturb you. In fact, we want to help you.”

“Yeah? And why?” the man asked with a raise eyebrow.

“Well, we’re villains too, and attacking some UA students who are trying to stop you would be a pleasure for us” Izuku answered while walking, stopping just a few feet from the man.

“You tell us where they are, and we’ll go after them. Do we have a deal?” Izuku extended his hand.

The man grinned and accepted the handshake. “We have a deal. But what’s your name? I’m Wolfram.”

“Well, Wolfram, in Japan, I’m known as Redtooth.” Izuku revealed his teeth with a grin.

“No!” shouted David Shield, Melissa’s father. “He’s a dangerous villain! He’s already killed 32 people in just 4 months!” he added.

“Well, this just got better than I thought,” Wolfram said with a smile.

He led them to the security cameras to pinpoint the students’ locations.

“Who are you going to attack?” asked Wolfram.

“Todoroki,” Dabi answered immediately.

“I’ll go after Ochaco,” said Toga.

“I’ll go after Melissa,” said Izuku.

“Huh? Why Melissa and not Bakugo? I thought you’d rather attack him,” Toga asked, confused.

“Yes, but I have some questions for that girl,” Izuku replied.

They each went to different floors to carry out their objectives.

---

Dabi arrived at a floor with a giant garden, where two villains and three students were fighting. Among them was Todoroki Shoto.

When he saw an opportunity, he launched a fire attack at Todoroki, but Todoroki managed to block it with ice. Todoroki then saw Dabi and recognized him from the entrance.

“What are you doing, Homura?” Todoroki asked.

“Well… we were planning to cause some chaos, but it seems others already started it, so we’re just going to help,” Dabi grinned.

They exchanged ice and fire attacks, Dabi wasn’t trying yet, but Todoroki didn’t use his fire in any of the clash of attacks.

“Why don’t you use his fire?” Dabi asked.

“Because I don’t need it,” Todoroki replied dryly.

Dabi jumped back, stopping his attack. “Huh, maybe you’re not as bad as I thought,” he said before turning and running away. ‘Maybe he could be useful to get my revenge on Endeavor,' he thought

---

Uraraka had just sent Melissa flying with her quirk when she saw Bakugo destroying some robots nearby. Suddenly, she noticed someone attacking her from behind. She jumped to the side and turned around, finding Toga with a knife in hand.

“Toga?!? What are you doing?” Uraraka asked.

“I’m getting some of your blood~ Isn’t it obvious?” Toga answered with a smile.

“You were with the villains?!” Uraraka exclaimed, surprised.

“Well… no, but yes,” Toga said.

“Huh?” Uraraka replied, confused.

“I mean, I am a villain, and I’m with the villains. But I didn’t know the villains would take control of the tower,” Toga explained.

“But why are you a villain? You seemed so nice before. What will Reiji think about it?” Uraraka tried to convince Toga.

“Well, he’s a villain too, and he always gives me some of his blood! I’m his fan. Did you know he’s famous?” Toga replied.

“A famous villain? At that age? Who is he?” Uraraka asked.

“Redtooth,” answered Toga.

Uraraka took a step back, surprised. “Redtooth?!? But I didn’t see him as a maniac killer,” she said.

Before Toga could respond, an explosion from Bakugo nearly hit her, but she managed to dodge. “Fuck you lunatic blood sucker!” Shouted Bakugo angrily.

“Ugh, I see why Red doesn’t like you. You had to ruin the fun,” Toga said before turning and running away.

---

Melissa was almost at the last floor when she arrived at the final door and was greeted by Izuku blocking the door, whose hair was now red.

“Well, well, just who I was looking for,” Izuku said with a grin.

“Reiji? What are you doing here? And why is your hair red?” Melissa asked.

“I’ll skip the suspense. I’m Redtooth, and I’ve made an alliance with the villains. So, I have to stop you,” Izuku said.

Melissa prepared to fight. “Move aside or else,” she threatened, her face angry.

“No,” Izuku said. He tilted his head and added, “Well, it depends if your answer to my questions.”

“Which questions?” Melissa asked in curiosity.

“Yeah. It’s interesting that you suddenly got your quirk, you know? Just a few months before joining UA. It seems odd,” Izuku said, watching her movements.

“W-well, yes. I’m a late bloomer. Sometimes that happens,” Melissa said, a little anxious. ‘I don’t like where this conversation is going,’ she thought.

“Let’s see. The other reason you might’ve gotten a quirk is because of another quirk,” Izuku said, making Melissa even more worried. Her expression showed it, which made Izuku smile. “There are two quirks I know that can give a quirk: All for One…” He paused dramatically. “...and One for All.”

‘What do I do? What do I do?’ Melissa thought with a worried face.

“By the look on your face, it seems I’m right. Thank you for the answers, and don’t worry I won’t tell anyone. I’ll be going now,” Izuku said, running off and leaving the door open for Melissa to pass.

---

The trio reunited shortly after.

“How did you do?” Izuku asked.

“Well enough,” Dabi answered.

“Wonderful!” Toga said. “But that Kamikaze kid ruined the fun,” she added dryly.

“Well, we should get going,” Izuku said, texting Kurogiri on his phone. Moments later, the iconic portal appeared. “We did what we wanted. Now let’s see how they fare at the camp,” Izuku said with a grin as he stepped through the portal.

———————————————

Extra:

Izuku and the rest of the League were at the bar, chatting about how things went during the I-Attack (as Twice liked to call it).

“I liked the attack!” said Toga with a big smile. “I made some new friends!”

“You know they were our enemies, right?” Dabi asked flatly.

Toga puffed out her cheeks. “Shut up, grumpy candle.”

Izuku pretended to be deeply offended. “Did you just steal my joke?”

“Yes,” Toga replied with a mischievous grin.

“Speaking of stealing,” Dabi said, turning to Shigaraki and Mr. Compress, “what did you two steal?”

Shigaraki smirked and pulled out a blue marble that transformed into a box. “We stole…” He opened it and revealed a sleek device. “a Nintendo Switch 2!” he announced with a proud smile.

Izuku stared at him, deadpan. “So… on a heavily guarded island, with tech strong enough to stop pro heroes and even an army of robots… you stole a game console?”

Tomura looked thoughtful for a second, scratching his neck. “Yeah…”

“You know that if you weren’t my friend, I’d kill you, right?” Izuku said calmly.

“Yeah…” Tomura answered just as calmly.

After a short pause, Izuku picked up the console with a smile. “So, are we playing or what?”

Shigaraki smiled. “Of course."

Chapter Text

Everyone was at the bar waiting for Shigaraki, with Midoriya leaning on the bar with his left arm, surrounded by the League. Toga chatted with Magne and Twice on the couch. Dabi sat alone, like always. Mustard was arguing with Mr. Compress, trying to convince him that Melissa was actually All Might’s daughter and not David Shield’s. Spinner was gaming on his phone, Moonfish was lost in madness, Kurogiri cleaned glasses, and Muscular was his usual grumpy self.

Then Shigaraki walked in.

“So, Shigaraki, what’s the plan?” Midoriya asked casually.

Shigaraki sat beside him, smirking as he glanced around the room. “We’re going to attack the U.A. training camp. We’ll kidnap one of the students and try to recruit them.”

Midoriya raised an eyebrow. “Who exactly? If someone’s in a hero school, it’s because they want to be a hero, not a villain.”

“I’m thinking the explosive kid,” Shigaraki replied. “He acts like a villain. He might become one. You know him, right? Maybe you could convince him.”

“Yeah… no,” Midoriya said flatly.

“Why? Because you two don’t get along?” Shigaraki asked.

Midoriya grimaced. “It’s more than that. He’s stubborn as hell. Too much pride to turn villain. But if you’re looking for recruits, I’ve got four other options. First—Shoto Todoroki.”

At the mention of the name, Dabi subtly flinched.

“He’s got daddy issues with Endeavor, the number two hero. He’s strong, and with the right push, we might turn him. Second—Ochaco Uraraka.”

Toga’s ears perked up, her face lighting up at the idea of recruiting her ‘friend’.

“Her family’s poor. We could use that, but… I talked to her during the festival. She’s too determined to be a hero.”

“Wait—why did you talk to her?” Toga asked, jealousy thick in her voice.

Midoriya blinked. “Huh? I needed information. She was up against Bakugo, so I tried to help her out. Why?”

“No reason,” Toga muttered, clearly still annoyed.

“Anyway,” Midoriya continued, “the third option is Neito Monoma. He’s got main character syndrome but has always been treated like a side character. If we convince him he can be more—as an antagonist—he might join us. The last one is Minoru Mineta. He’s a pervert. Offer him some… ‘rewards,’ and he might be easy to sway.”

“So who do we go for?” Spinner asked.

“For ease? Mineta. Then Todoroki, Monoma, and finally Uraraka. But if we’re thinking long-term usefulness and societal impact? Todoroki first, then Monoma, Uraraka, and Mineta—who’s almost useless.”

“Then Todoroki it is,” Mr. Compress said, earning a scowl from Dabi.

“Yeah, we aim for Todoroki, Monoma, or Uraraka,” Midoriya confirmed, ignoring Dabi’s glare.

“Alright, but what’s the plan?” Mustard asked, sipping from some soda can.

“There’ll be six heroes present: Eraser Head, Vlad King, and the Pussycats,” Shigaraki explained. “We’ll hit them during a courage training activity. Dabi will set a fire to trap them. He and Twice will create a clone to attack the base. Mustard releases a gas cloud to knock out students. Magne and Spinner take on the Pussycats. Moonfish abducts the green one for Sensei, then goes after Todoroki. Toga collects blood from at least three students. Kurogiri releases a Nomu to sow chaos. Muscular and Red go for Eraser Head.”

Midoriya frowned at the idea of working with Muscular. “Hey, Muscular.”

“What, brat?” Muscular sneered.

“Stick to the plan. Don’t go off chasing random kills.”

“I’ll do whatever I want, punk. You wanna fight me?” Muscular stepped forward, grinning arrogantly.

“Maybe after the mission. If you screw up, I’ll take your other eye—and then your life,” Midoriya warned, standing up as well.

“Enough,” Shigaraki ordered. “Save it for after the mission.”

The two backed off, glaring at each other.

‘Let’s see if I can kill him for disobeying. Less than a week left, enjoy it,’ Midoriya thought darkly, grinning to himself.

---

Shield and the rest of Class 1-A were getting ready to leave the classroom after school. Everyone was excited—except Bakugo, who was clearly annoyed by the noise and headed for the door.

“Come on, Bakugo, it’ll be fun!” Kirishima said.

“No,” Bakugo growled, fire in his stare, as always.

“Don’t be a party pooper,” Kaminari joked, bumping his shoulder.

“Stop annoying me!” Bakugo snapped, shooting him a deadly glare.

He was about to walk out when Uraraka said mockingly, “Come on, Kacchan.”

Bakugo froze.

In an instant, he slammed her against the wall. “WHO TOLD YOU THAT NAME?!”

The room went dead silent.

“Bakugo, what are you doing?!” Shield shouted.

But Bakugo ignored her, eyes burning. “I said—WHO TOLD YOU THAT NAME?!”

Uraraka stammered, “A-a boy at the sports festival… He said it when talking about you.”

“What did he look like?” Bakugo demanded.

“About our age… freckles… fluffy hair… green eyes, and—”

“LIAR!” Bakugo shouted, slamming her again before Kirishima and Shield pulled him away.

“Dude, calm down! It’s just a nickname,” Kirishima said.

“Only one person ever called me that,” Bakugo muttered, looking away. “And… he’s dead.”

The room fell into stunned silence. As Bakugo walked toward the door, Todoroki spoke up.

“I talked to him too. She’s not lying.”

Bakugo paused, but then left without another word.

---

Bakugo bursted into the principal's office, where Nezu and Eraser Head were monitoring some footage.

“Oh! Young Bakugo, need something?” Nezu asked with a cheerful smile.

“I want to see the face of a boy who talked to Uraraka and Todoroki during the festival,” Bakugo demanded.

“Ah, I think I know who you mean. Uraraka reported someone sneaking into the participant rooms without clearance. Unfortunately, he avoided all cameras. I couldn’t get a visual, but we’re investigating,” Nezu said.

“Why are you looking for him?” Eraser Head asked.

“He told Uraraka something… something only one person ever told me,” Bakugo replied.

“Must be the same person,” Eraser said, raising an eyebrow.

“It can’t be,” Bakugo said, swallowing hard. “He… committed suicide.”

“…I’m sorry for your loss,” Nezu said gently. “What was his name?”

“Izuku Midoriya.”

---

Just as Midoriya stepped into one of Kurogiri’s portal, he sneezed, he then found himself in front of All For One once again.

All For One turned. “I didn’t expect you so soon, Red… or should I say, Izuku?”

Midoriya flinched at the name. “I’d prefer my villain name. It’s been a while since anyone called me by my real one.”

“All right then, Redtooth it is. What brings you here? You don’t visit often.”

Midoriya smiled. “I came to ask a favor—a quirk, actually. For Dabi.”

All For One raised a brow. It wasn’t common for someone to ask for a quirk for another person. Only parents of quirkless children had done that. Midoriya had only known Dabi for weeks.

“A quirk for Dabi? Why?”

“His flames are powerful, but they’re killing him. I don’t want him to die from his own power. I want to give him a strong fire-resistant quirk.”

All For One grinned. “That’s a noble reason. But what do I gain?”

“Well, first—you’d get more value out of Dabi,” Midoriya began. But seeing All For One’s unimpressed face, he added, “And… I’ll tell you how I got my quirk.”

Now intrigued, All For One smiled. “Now that I want to hear. Tell me how you came back from the dead with such a powerful quirk, and I’ll give Dabi the one you request. But you’ll need to find someone with that quirk for me to steal.”

“Sounds fair to me,” Midoriya agreed.

“Then tell me, Izuku… how did you rise from the grave?”

Midoriya flinched again at his real name.

Then he began to tell the story—of the day he died, and what brought him back...

After the story was told, All For One was intrigued, to say the least.

“That opens up many paths for me to follow. Now I know there is an afterlife... and other universes. After Tomura defeats All Might and conquers the world, I will send you and Dr. Garaki to investigate it.”

“I agree, it looks promising,” said Midoriya.

“Now go and bring me the quirk you want for Dabi—then bring Dabi to me,” commanded All For One.

“I will. In fact, I already know whose quirk Dabi will get,” answered Midoriya. Then, with Kurogiri’s help, he warped back to the bar where Shigaraki was waiting, playing some new game of his.

“So, how did it go? You got what you wanted?” asked Shigaraki.

“Yeah, but I’ll need Kurogiri’s help for something. Mind if I borrow him?”

“Tch. Fine, but don’t take too long,” Shigaraki replied with annoyance, returning to his game.

Kurogiri and Midoriya teleported to an apartment. Midoriya looked for the man he had in mind and found him in the living room, watching a movie with his family. He had a son, about nineteen years old.

‘Good thing there are no small children,’ Midoriya thought. He was a ruthless killer, but he didn’t mess with kids. There was a difference between being a killer and being someone who enjoys the suffering of others—especially children.

Midoriya approached the family from behind, a mischievous grin on his face, revealing a hint of red teeth.

“Well, well. What a lovely family~”

The family jumped to their feet. The man stepped forward, raising his arms protectively, and shouted, “Who are you?! What are you doing here?! Get out of my house or I’ll call the heroes!”

Midoriya walked up to him slowly and stopped right in front of him.

“Are you sure? The heroes can’t bring people back from the dead~ So calling them would be useless. I mean… you're all going to die.”

Without waiting for a response, he lunged at the woman and slit her throat with terrifying ease.

“Mom!” the son cried. He grabbed a baseball bat and charged at Midoriya, rage and hate in his eyes—but Midoriya caught the bat mid-swing and snapped it like paper.

“That’s all you’ve got?” Midoriya mocked before slicing the boy’s throat.

“NOOOO!” the father screamed, collapsing to his knees in agony—a kind of pain few had ever felt. He had just lost everything in seconds.

Midoriya stepped toward him, voice calm but laced with evil.

“Don’t worry. After I take what I want, you’ll join them.”

He punched the man in the forehead, knocking him out, then shook his hand slightly in discomfort.

“Well… looks like punching isn’t as easy without my ability,” he muttered to himself.

He proceeded to drink blood from the corpses, then turned to Kurogiri.

“Take me back to the bar. Deliver the man to All For One.”

Kurogiri nodded and obeyed.

Back at the bar, Midoriya stepped out of the portal and started looking for Dabi. But before he could call out, someone tackled him to the ground. Toga.

She was straddling him with a wide grin.

“Hi, Red!” she chirped. Then she pouted. “I haven’t had your blood in a while—I want some!”

Midoriya gave a small smile, trying to hide his blush.

“Well, let me get up and I’ll give you some.”

Toga quickly let him stand and waited eagerly. Midoriya rolled up his sleeve, and she sank her fangs into him. It had become a regular routine—once or twice a day, Toga would drink from him, then complain about not being able to transform into him.

When she finished, she puffed her cheeks again.

“Why can’t I transform?”

Midoriya chuckled and shook his head.

“Have you seen Dabi?”

As if summoned, Dabi walked into the room.

“Speak of the devil…” Midoriya muttered. He approached him. “Hey Dabi, we have to go see Shigaraki’s Sensei.”

“Huh?” Dabi turned his head. “For what?”

Midoriya smirked.

“I’ve got a gift for you.”

He called Kurogiri, and the three of them passed through a portal. In his usual throne-like chair, All For One sat observing—well, as much as he could, considering he had no eyes.

“What’s this gift Red is talking about?” Dabi asked.

All For One gave a slight grin.

“A quirk. More specifically, one that grants fire resistance.”

“Yeah… no thanks,” Dabi said immediately, turning around.

“Come on, Dabi. Why not accept it?” Midoriya asked.

“I don’t need it,” Dabi replied dryly.

Midoriya stepped forward, eyes sharp with purpose.

“You want to beat Endeavor by yourself, don’t you?” Dabi stopped. “You still will—even with this quirk. This isn’t to help you beat him. It’s to make sure you live long enough to reach that fight… and to survive after it. Show him you’re the true masterpiece.”

Dabi was silent for a moment before sighing.

“Alright…”

He stepped forward, and All For One wasted no time in beginning the quirk transfer, all the while thinking with a smirk, 'Izuku Midoriya… what an interesting boy.'

Chapter Text

Principal Nezu was having a great day. Everything was running smoothly. His first-year students were off at the training camp with the prohero Wild Wild Pussycats, there were no signs of villain activity, and best of all— he hadn’t received a single lawsuit all week!

Whistling while he worked, Nezu smiled to himself. But his good mood faltered when his office door creaked open. He turned to see a boy step in. He had black hair, wore the standard U.A. uniform, and appeared to be a first-year student. His face was mostly hidden by a black scarf wrapped around his mouth.

'I don’t recognize him... that’s odd,' thought Nezu. Still, he kept his expression neutral. "Hello, is there something you need?" he asked politely.

The boy didn’t answer right away. Instead, he sat down across from Nezu and silently set up a chessboard.

"Well well~ How about a game of chess?" he said, lowering his scarf to reveal a chilling grin—and a mouth full of sharp, blood-like teeth.

Nezu’s eyes narrowed, and a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. "Redtooth..."

"Don’t worry, I’m not here to kill you," said Midoriya, his grin widening. Then, in a whisper laced with malice, he added, "Not yet, at least."

Nezu’s smile vanished. "Why are you here?" he asked, tone suddenly serious.

"To play chess. Didn’t you hear me the first time?" Midoriya replied, not losing his smile.

Nezu complied, and so they began the game. A few moves in, Midoriya spoke again. "Heroes versus villains. An eternal game of chess, don’t you think?"

Nezu moved a knight. "Indeed. No matter how hard villains try, there will always be heroes to stop them."

Midoriya countered. "And yet, the opposite also holds true."

More moves were made in silence, then Midoriya leaned back. "But this time, it’s different."

Nezu frowned. "What do you mean?"

Midoriya moved his queen, offering a trade. "This time, there are three kings. And my goal is to eliminate the other two."

Nezu accepted the trade. "I suppose All for One is one king. I must be the other. But who’s the third?"

Midoriya shook his head and continued the game. "A queen who believes she’s a king. Queens often act untouchable, ruling the board with power. But sometimes... a queen trade is best. Your queen is All Might. Who’s ours?"

Nezu tensed. 'He’s planning to take All Might off the board? How?' Distracted by the question, he made a blunder.

Midoriya seized the opportunity, moving quickly. "We both have pawns advancing, both aiming to become queens. But ours will be stronger. We don't mind sacrificing pieces. You, however... every hero you lose matters."

They played on, each move more tense than the last.

"Every hero that dies hurts you," Midoriya said. "Every civilian lost, every soul broken... it all chips away at your side. And when the time comes..."

Nezu suddenly realized the trap he'd fallen into several moves ago. Midoriya grinned.

"Checkmate."

Sweating, Nezu stared at the board. 'He beat me... even using distractions, he still won. He’s the first to ever do that.'

He looked up. "Heroes will stop you..." But even he could hear the doubt in his voice.

Midoriya stood. "Will they?" 

Before leaving, he pulled up his scarf again and added, "Don’t try to catch me. Students might die. And remember... first comes the queen trade."

---

After the meeting with Nezu, Midoriya wandered through U.A. looking for someone interesting. He was confident Nezu wouldn’t try anything rash. There were too many potential hostages, and any evacuation would be obvious.

Eventually, he spotted his target entering a bathroom.

Midoriya followed. "Hey there!"

The boy turned, eyes widening. "What do you want, Redtooth?" he asked, instantly preparing to flee.

Midoriya raised his hands in peace. "Don’t—"

But before he could finish, Shinso activated his Quirk, brainwashing Midoriya in an instant.

'Damn, I didn’t think Shinso would use his Quirk so fast... This just got more interesting,' Midoriya thought, frozen.

Shinso relaxed. "Maybe if I capture a famous villain, they'll finally let me into the hero course."

Midoriya strained against the mental chains. 'Think. What can I use? Claws and teeth won’t help. Sensing? Useless. Presence-hiding? Worthless if he already sees me... Maybe strength?'

He activated his strength ability. His arm turned red but didn’t move. 'Come on, I won’t lose to a student in a bathroom!'

With sheer willpower and desperation, he focused harder... until something clicked. Whatever power he tapped into broke the control.

Shinso, deep in thought, was startled by Midoriya’s voice.

"Hello? Earth to Shinso!"

Shinso jumped back. "How did you break free?!"

Midoriya smirked, then paused. "You know what? Never mind. That was impressive. You have a great Quirk—and you use it well. But... why aren’t you in the hero course?"

Shinso looked down, silent.

"Because they’re idiots," Midoriya continued, as if it were obvious. "They don’t want real heroes. They want flashy ones. Look at Class 1-A—strength, fire, flying blades..."

He stepped closer. "They said your Quirk was villainous, didn’t they?"

Shinso nodded.

Midoriya placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know how that feels. I wanted to be a hero too. But my idol crushed that dream. So I listened to them... and became a villain."

He met Shinso’s eyes. "If they don’t want our help... let’s watch them burn"

With that, he turned to leave. At the door, he looked back.

"Don’t answer now. Think about it. Do you want to try to be a hero... or do you want to be someone?"

---

Annoyed—that’s how Shigaraki felt as he scratched his neck, eyes fixed on the forest in front of him.

“Why does he take this long?” he muttered.

Muscular came up behind him with a snarl.

“And when are we gonna attack, huh?! We should start without that brat!”

Shigaraki groaned. “Just a few more minutes…”

Right on cue, a portal opened behind them. Kurogiri’s mist swirled as Midoriya stepped out.

“Sorry for the delay,” he said, brushing some dirt off his coat. “Some vigilantes were clashing with thugs. Had to stay and watch.”

“Just don’t make it a habit,” Shigaraki replied without turning. “We’re starting the plan now.”

Everyone moved. Midoriya followed Muscular, as instructed.

Once they were far enough from the others, Muscular growled, “Stop following me, brat, or I’ll kill you!”

Midoriya rolled his eyes. “Trust me, if it weren’t Shigaraki’s orders, I wouldn’t be here.”

‘And you’d already be dead by now,’ he thought darkly.

They began climbing a mountain. At a fork, the path split—one way up, one way down. Muscular chose to descend. Midoriya went higher.

When he reached a ridge, Midoriya sat down, staring out over the forest below. Blue flames flickered in the distance.

‘Maybe I should let the others take the spotlight…’ he thought under the pale light of the full moon.

But he got bored in less than five minutes.

“Let’s check on the brainless muscle,” he muttered, peeking down.

There he was—Muscular, approaching a little kid with a red hat.

“Hey, kid. Cool hat. Wanna trade?” Muscular asked, voice dripping with malice.

‘That son of a…’ Midoriya thought. He jumped down, landing between them.

“Focus on the mission, Muscular. Leave the kid alone.”

Muscular growled. “Fuck off, brat. I’m gonna kill this kid, then finish the mission.”

“Take one more step toward him, and you’ll regret it,” Midoriya warned, removing his scarf and baring his claws.

Muscular grinned. “Let’s see about that.”

He launched forward, muscles bulging unnaturally. Midoriya dodged by springing off the wall and landing on Muscular’s back, slashing him and retreating before a counter could land.

Muscular only laughed. “Those little cuts won’t work on me.”

Midoriya scowled.

‘I can’t slash him, and piercing could kill me. My only chance is… hitting his face.’

He ducked under a right hook, leapt over a left swing.

“Stop running, coward!” Muscular roared.

Midoriya tried punching, but nothing landed clean. Muscular pushed forward. Midoriya stumbled and fell onto his back.

Before he could recover, Muscular loomed above, fist massive and descending. Midoriya barely had time to raise his own hand in defense.

‘Is this how I die…?’

A splash of water hit Muscular.

“Huh?” he grunted, glancing at the kid, who was trembling, his hand dripping.

“L-let him go!” the boy stammered, his eyes big and his voice small.

“Just a second, kid. Don’t be so impatient,” Muscular muttered, still pressing down on Midoriya.

‘No… this isn’t how I die. I’m going to kill this bastard… and everyone who hurt me.’

Midoriya gritted his teeth. His strength quirk—borrowed from another universe—was a lesser version of Armament Haki. The ability to coat oneself in willpower. But now, something awakened.

Fueled by rage and resolve, the black energy around his arm deepened, turning pitch black—hardening with an aura that broke through defenses.

Muscular’s eyes widened as Midoriya began pushing back.

‘What the hell?! When did he get this strong?!’

“DIE!!” Midoriya roared, slamming his fist into Muscular’s face, launching him into the mountain wall and leaving a crater.

Muscular fell unconscious. Midoriya stood, panting.

“…Now I get why Bakugo says that all the time,” he scoffed.

He turned to the kid, who flinched.

“Why did you help me?” Midoriya asked.

“W-well… he killed my parents. I didn’t wanna help you, I just wanted him gone,” the kid lied, not very convincingly.

Midoriya gave him a tired smile. “Tch… just know, I’m not a hero. And don’t trust them. I did once… didn’t end well.”

He placed a hand gently on the kid’s head.

“Be careful, kid. The world’s not black and white.”

Without waiting for a reply, he vanished into the forest.

Chapter Text

The forest was quiet again, but the silence didn’t bring peace.

Midoriya walked through the trees with slow, heavy steps. His fight with Muscular had left his body sore and his clothes torn, but his mind stayed sharp — focused. He had a job to finish.

After a few minutes, he found who he was looking for.

Mustard was lying on the forest floor, unconscious. Two students stood nearby, exhausted but alert, watching over the villain like guards who’d just barely won the battle.

Midoriya approached calmly, hands relaxed at his sides.
“Hey there,” he said. “Relax. I’m not in the mood for a fight. Just came to pick up my partner.”

The students tensed immediately, raising their fists in weak defiance.

“Step back!” the boy barked. “Or we’ll take you down too!”

Midoriya smiled — not kindly. His teeth showed sharp against the faint light, and that alone made them flinch.

“You’re tired,” he said. “Wannabe heroes who got lucky.”
He took a step closer, eyes never leaving them. “And me? I’m a trained killer.”

That was a lie, or at least half of one. His legs still burned, and his arms felt like dead weight after that last hit from Muscular. But he wouldn’t let it show.

He reached Mustard and threw him over his shoulder with a grunt.
“Don’t worry,” he said with a smirk, turning away. “I won’t try to kill you… yet.”

And just like that, he walked into the trees, heading for the rendezvous point. The silence returned, but now it carried something new.

Fear.

---

Midoriya was arriving at the meeting point. Dabi, Twice, Magne, and Spinner were already there.

“Where are Mr. Compress and Toga?” Midoriya asked.

“We don’t know,” answered Magne.

“If they take too long, we’ll have to leave them behind,” added Dabi, arms crossed.

“We should wait for them! We should go now!” said Twice—twice.

‘Please arrive,’ Midoriya thought, eyes fixed on the forest. A minute later, Mr. Compress emerged, several students hot on his heels.

“We have to go!” shouted Mr. Compress.

“But Toga…” Midoriya whispered.

Just then, Toga burst from the trees with a wide smile on her face.

“Red! Guess what—I made a new friend! Her name is Tsu!” she said, rushing over to him.

Midoriya smiled back. “Tell me more at the base.”

A swirling purple portal opened. As Midoriya dashed toward it, the rest engaged the students. Thanks to Mr. Compress's tricks and Dabi's fire, they managed to escape through the portal.

---

Back at the base, Shigaraki greeted them.

“So, you got the kid?” he asked Mr. Compress.

Mr. Compress pointed to Dabi, who held a marble in his hand.

Shigaraki grinned. “Great. Let’s restrain him once he’s out of the marble.” He turned to Toga. “And you? Did you get the blood we needed?”

Toga proudly held up two vials. “From two students,” she said. “This one’s from my friend Tsu,” she said, shaking the right vial, “and this one’s from my friend Ochako,” she added, shaking the left.

Shigaraki scratched his neck. “We needed at least three…”

Midoriya dropped Mustard onto the couch and slung an arm over Shigaraki’s shoulders. “Don’t worry! Today, we’ve won,” he said with a grin.

Shigaraki smirked. “You’re right. Once we restrain the boy, we’ll have some fun while we wait for him to wake up.”

He paused. “But… what happened to Muscular? You were with him.”

“Let’s just say he disobeyed an order…” Midoriya began, flashing an evil smile. “And I had to put him in his place.”

“I knew you’d teach him a lesson~,” Toga cooed, leaning against him, making him blush.

“Stop flirting and start preparing the chair,” Shigaraki ordered.

---

After playing for a while, Todoroki woke up, with the League watching him in a semi-circle. The boy looked at each of them and then said coldly:

"What do you want, villains?"

Midoriya chuckled and joked,
"Who would’ve thought the son of Endeavor would be this cold…"
making Toga giggle.

"Don’t joke now, Red," commanded Shigaraki. He then turned to Todoroki and said:
"I’ll go straight to the point. What do you think about becoming a villain?"

Todoroki raised an eyebrow.
"Do you really think I’m going to become a villain?"

Midoriya stepped forward.
"Let’s rephrase the question." He stood in front of Todoroki.
"Do we really think that a boy abused by his father, raised to be a weapon by the number two hero, would turn his back on those who hurt him?"
Todoroki avoided his gaze.

"Yes, we do think that," Midoriya continued.
"We’ve all suffered in different ways… and that made us villains. Villains are made, not born."

‘Is he… right?’ thought Todoroki.
But then, memories came: his mother encouraging him to be a hero… All Might saving people on TV… how he wanted to be like him. How he still wants to be like him.

Todoroki looked at Midoriya with determination.
"No. I won’t become a villain. I’m going to become a hero."

They stared at each other for a few seconds before Midoriya broke eye contact and walked back to Shigaraki.
"Well, I tried."

Before anyone else could speak, a knock came at the door.

"Kamino’s pizza delivery!"
A second later, a wall exploded, and branches surged in, capturing everyone. An old man knocked out Dabi, while Edgeshot took down Kurogiri. Then, the Number One Hero appeared.

As All Might entered, both Shigaraki’s and Midoriya’s blood boiled.

"You shall not fear, because I—"

"Shut up! Please!" interrupted Midoriya.
"That stupid phrase again? Don’t you have anything else? Muscles but no brain."

Everyone went silent, stunned.
Then, gray mud began to leak from the League members and Todoroki. All Might tried to grab him but failed.

When the mud dispersed, they were in front of All For One, in a destroyed building.

"Well… I didn’t expect that," said Midoriya, analyzing the scene with his observation ability. He noticed fallen heroes, five students behind a broken wall, and All Might approaching them.

"Don’t worry, Tomura," said All For One.
"You will try again in the near future—until you succeed."

‘I could come up with better motivational lines…’ thought Midoriya.

Without wasting time, Todoroki launched an ice attack at Midoriya, who jumped back.

"Catch him!" shouted Shigaraki.

Toga, Magne, and Spinner rushed in, but the ice was too overwhelming—they couldn’t reach him.

‘With Dabi knocked out and the rest of our team being close-range, we can’t touch him…’ thought Midoriya, dodging again.

Then, All Might arrived. He stared at All For One, ready to fight.
‘We have to get out of here,’ thought Midoriya.

Suddenly, an explosion hit the broken wall, and the five students flew across the battlefield. A dark-haired girl shouted:

"Let’s go, Todoroki!"

He used his ice to launch himself toward his classmates.

Spinner, Mr. Compress, and Magne moved to intercept, but—

"Don’t go!" shouted Midoriya.
"It’s a waste of time. We have to go!"

"Redtooth is right. You should leave," said All For One, using one of his quirks to force a knocked-out Kurogiri to create a portal. He also forced Magne to launch the League into it.

---

On the other side, the League was dizzy from the launch and the adrenaline. Shigaraki was shaking, scratching his neck anxiously.

"Red… do you think he will win?"

Midoriya looked at him seriously.
"No. Even if he could defeat All Might, other heroes would arrive to finish him off…"

Shigaraki turned a wall to dust in frustration, tears welling in his eyes.

Midoriya looked at the rest.

‘We lost All For One, and our contact with Doctor Garaki… but at least the others escaped. This was a loss for us… but we always come back…’

‘Phase Two begins.’

Chapter Text

It had been two weeks since All For One was locked away in Tartarus.

In the meantime, Shigaraki had sent Twice, Dabi, and Midoriya to scout for new recruits, while Kurogiri searched for the Doctor.

“Ugh, do I really have to do this?” Midoriya muttered to himself, walking through the streets of Musutafu. He avoided heroes and cameras—he didn’t need that kind of attention right now.

Eventually, he ended up in a quiet alley, eating a small meal when he overheard two voices nearby.

“Hey, remember that underground fight club my brother told us about?” asked a young man, probably in his twenties.

“Yeah, I remember. You wanna go? Or why bring it up?” replied the second voice.

“No reason,” the first one mocked. “Of course I wanna go! My brother just sent me the location.”

Midoriya smirked.

‘Maybe I’ll get a good fight in~ And I can always tell Shigaraki I was looking for capable recruits…’ he thought. With that, he silently began tailing them, masking his presence with his ability.

---

He arrived at the club with a noticeable excitement on his face. After his intense battle with Muscular, he’d been itching for stronger opponents—fighters who could push him to his limits, who would make him go Plus Ultra… ironic, coming from an enemy of UA.

The fighting ring was a crude metal cage, around 39 by 39 feet. Two fighters were already inside. One resembled a short skeleton wearing a blue jacket, while the other was a man in his thirties, with a metal plate covering his right eye and long, greenish and greyish hair. The fight was intense—the man wielded a sword and moved with the speed of an agility quirk, but the skeleton controlled bones erupting from the ground.

Despite the man’s speed, the skeleton had the upper hand, using his bone manipulation for both offense and defense. The two clashed swords—the man's steel versus the skeleton's bone blade—while the crowd roared in excitement. But before the swordsman could retreat, spikes shot from the ground and pierced his leg.

It was over in seconds. A sharp bone hovered inches from the swordsman’s face before the announcer declared through the mic:

“And that’s the match! Another victory for Nans!”

The crowd went wild. Then the announcer continued:

“Who dares to challenge Nans next?! Beat a leaderboard fighter and win 80,000 yen! Anyone brave enough?”

The murmurs of the crowd betrayed their fear. Losing could mean serious injuries, or worse.

But Midoriya didn’t hesitate. His eyes locked onto the leaderboard—Nans was ranked third.

‘How hard could it be?’

He stepped forward and shouted, “I want to fight him.”

The room fell into stunned silence before erupting into laughter.

“Go back to preschool, kid!”

“Don’t ruin the show!”

“He’ll kill you in seconds!”

Nans looked at him with an amused smirk. “I don’t wanna fight you, kid… It wouldn’t even be a fight.”

Midoriya returned the smirk. “Yeah… I figured you'd be too afraid. You look like a brittle sack of bones. Guess I expected too much.”

The crowd gasped. Nans’ expression darkened.

“Do you want to have a bad time?” he asked, voice cold. “Let him in.”

The crowd parted to let Midoriya enter the cage. Once inside, the gate slammed shut. Silence.

Then Nans spoke, calm and eerie.

“It’s a beautiful day outside… birds are singing, flowers are blooming… On days like these…”

His gaze turned deadly. “Kids like you should burn in hell.”

Without warning, sharp bones erupted toward Midoriya. He leapt to dodge, drawing his crimson claws and clinging to the cage’s wall. More spikes shot out of the metal, forcing him to drop back near where he began.

“I’ve always wondered why people don’t use their strongest attacks right away,” Nans said casually.

‘His attacks are fast, and they linger… they block off my movement,’ Midoriya analyzed.

‘But… my starting position is clear. That means the bones disappear eventually. The question is… when?’

“What? Already tired?” Nans mocked, launching another barrage.

Midoriya dodged right and charged, claws ready. Nans simply raised a bone wall. Midoriya tried slicing through, but it held firm. He barely dodged another wave of spikes and countered with an energy blast. Nans blocked it effortlessly.

“That’s it? Those claws… you’re Redtooth, right? I expected more from a serial killer.”

Bones rained from above. Midoriya dodged some, but others shot out from the walls.

‘This is harder than I expected… just like I wanted.’ He grinned.

For a moment, both fighters paused.

“You seem awfully happy for someone losing,” Nans remarked.

“Nah. I just figured out how to beat you.”

Midoriya fired another energy blast. Again, Nans blocked. Midoriya sprang up, trying to attack from above, but was forced down again by more bones. Still, he didn’t stop.

He charged the wall directly in front of Nans.

‘What is he thinking?’ Nans prepared another strike from the ceiling.

Just as Midoriya’s claws reached the barrier… the bones vanished.

In that split second, his claws slashed across Nans’ torso.

The crowd erupted.

Midoriya stood tall, claws inches away from Nans’ eyes. “Ten seconds. That’s how long your bones stay before they vanish.”

‘He calculated the timing and struck accordingly? He’s smarter than he looks…’ thought Nans, a smile creeping onto his face. “Well… well… You win.”

The announcer grabbed Midoriya’s wrist and lifted it.

“We have a winner! The infamous killer, Redtooth!”

Midoriya exited the cage and was handed a briefcase full of yen. Just as he was about to leave, a mysterious figure approached him.

The man wore a pure white cloak and a white, expressionless mask in place of a face. His presence was eerily calm—elegant, even.

“Greetings,” the man said with a polite bow. “Tell me, do you wish to earn even more money?”

Midoriya raised an eyebrow and smirked. “And how exactly would I do that?”

The masked man straightened.

“Simple. You fight me. Should you triumph, I will double your winnings. However…”

He leaned in slightly. “If I win, the entirety of your prize becomes mine. Do you accept the challenge?”

Midoriya’s grin widened behind his mask. “Tomorrow. Same time.”

The man bowed again. “I shall be waiting.”

Midoriya turned and walked out of the club.

‘This… is going to be very interesting.’

---

Back at the League’s temporary hideout—an old warehouse—Midoriya entered as Shigaraki and Toga approached.

“Any new recruits?” Shigaraki asked, noticing his unusually upbeat mood.

“Well… no recruits yet. But I fought in a club and made some money,” Midoriya replied.

Shigaraki groaned. “At least you got something,” he muttered, turning to talk to Spinner.

Toga stepped closer, her smile playful and eyes gleaming. “So~ how much blood did you drink, Red?” she asked, holding up her own claws with a teasing grin.

Midoriya blushed slightly. “None this time… killing’s not allowed in the club.”

Toga pouted. “Ugh, where’s the fun in that?”

Midoriya chuckled. “Yeah, I agree.”

“Are you going back tomorrow?” she asked, leaning even closer.

“Yeah. Actually, I bet all my winnings on my next fight.”

Toga lit up. “Ooooh~ Then I have to come watch you!”

Midoriya looked away, his blush deepening. “Yeah… sure. You could.”

They chatted a while longer before regrouping with the rest of the League—tomorrow, another fight awaited Midoriya.

Chapter Text

Midoriya, Toga, and Dabi were heading to the fighting club. Dabi had tagged along to scout for new recruits, unlike the other two, who came solely for Midoriya’s match.

When they arrived, the same mysterious man was waiting near the entrance. As soon as he saw Midoriya, he approached with calm steps and said,

“Greetings. Shall we begin our duel?”

Midoriya nodded. “Yeah.”

With that, he started walking toward the ring, while the man calmly made his way to the opposite side.

Before he stepped in, Toga grinned and shouted,

“Kick his ass!”

Midoriya smiled at her and kept walking.

They entered the ring at the same time. The announcer’s voice echoed through the crowd:

“Tonight, we have an exciting battle! On one side, we have Redtooth — the assassin, and now ranked number three in this arena — against Sevvel!”

The crowd erupted into a roar of anticipation.

‘So that’s Sevvel…’ Midoriya thought, recalling the leaderboard. He was number two.

“FIGHT!” the announcer yelled.

As in his previous fight, Midoriya stood still, analyzing his opponent. Sevvel slowly reached into his cloak and drew a large, white sword. As the weapon came into view, so did the rest of him: a pitch-black body, darker than night, as if one could fall forever into its endless void.

Sevvel gave a respectful bow. Midoriya returned it without hesitation.

Then Sevvel lunged.

His sword came down with brutal speed. Midoriya blocked with his claws, but didn’t have time to counter — Sevvel was already shifting, striking from different angles with inhuman precision.

When Midoriya tried to retaliate, Sevvel leapt back out of range, then suddenly stabbed his sword into the ground.

‘What’s he—?’ Midoriya’s thought was cut off as black tentacles burst from the floor. He had to jump to the wall to dodge them.

‘Not again…’ he thought, a bead of sweat running down his temple.

The tendrils retreated just as Sevvel pulled his sword free and launched himself at Midoriya, who was still midair. Forced to descend, Midoriya fired an energy blast — only for Sevvel to swat it away with his blade like it was a fly.

‘This is way harder than last time… Nans had a strong Quirk, sure, but Sevvel’s different. His strength, agility, technique — it’s all thanks to that mutant Quirk of his. Plus, he has powers I don’t even understand yet.’

They clashed again, exchanging slashes, blocks, and dodges in a deadly rhythm. Sevvel maintained the upper hand, but eventually, Midoriya spotted what looked like an opening.

Without a second thought, he lunged — claws ready, heart pounding, face lit with the fire of ambition.

But it was a trap.

As Midoriya got close, Sevvel’s free hand slammed him into the ground, cracking the floor beneath and snapping several bones in the process.

Midoriya could barely move. Sevvel’s sword hovered inches from his neck.

“You are a fierce warrior,” Sevvel said, his voice calm and smooth, “but you shall not triumph over my blade.”

Then he turned and walked toward the exit, leaving Midoriya in the wreckage of his defeat.

‘Damn it… he tricked me. I’m… weak. I’m still weak…’

The thought stung. Tears almost in his eyes but he didn't let them appear.

‘No. I’ll beat him. I have to train.’

He slowly stood up, wincing in pain, and called out,

“One week!”

Sevvel stopped at the metal door and glanced back.

“Let’s fight again in one week,” Midoriya said. “If I win… I take it all. If you win, I’ll give you another 80,000 yen.”

Sevvel gave a faint nod. “Very well. I shall await our rematch.”

Then he left.

Midoriya limped over to Toga and Dabi. Toga looked worried.

“You okay, Red?” she asked.

“Yeah… just a few broken bones. I’ll be fine tomorrow,” he said — right before wincing again.

“You’re confident,” Dabi muttered with a raised brow. “You really think you can beat him in just a week?”

“I won’t know unless I try,” Midoriya replied.

---

The three of them returned to the base.

Their steps were slower than usual. Their expressions darker. The energy was so dead it could’ve applied for a job at a funeral home.

Shigaraki looked up from the couch, his hand twitching near his neck.

He frowned.

“…What happened?”

Midoriya scratched the back of his head, trying—and failing—to sound casual.

“Uhhh, let’s just say… I no longer have the money I got yesterday…”

Shigaraki blinked. “What?” he said, already scratching his neck faster. “How did you lose it?”

“Well, I got this amazing oppor—”

“He bet it,” Dabi interrupted, arms crossed. His tone was dry as a desert on a diet.

“And he lost the fight. So he lost the money.”

“Yeah!” Toga chirped. “He didn’t even stand a chance!”

“Thanks for the moral support, guys…” Midoriya muttered, crossing his arms.

“Don’t worry!” Toga said brightly, bouncing a bit on her heels. “You’ll win next time! You just have to train, train, train~!”

“Yeah… about that.” Midoriya’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I think we should all start training. Back in the forest we had trouble with those heroes and the students. I’m not the only one who needs to improve. Mustard, Spinner, Toga, and I should train the most.”

“Wait—me?!” said Spinner, pointing at himself, slightly offended.

“You use a bunch of swords tied together like it’s a cosplay prop. No offense.”

Midoriya tilted his head toward him. “Mustard nearly got captured, Toga only got blood from two students, and I got smacked around in the ring like a piñata. So yeah. That’s why.”

Spinner looked at his weapon. Then at Midoriya. Then back at the weapon.

“…But I like this sword…” he mumbled under his breath.

“Okay, okay. Keep your glorified kitchen utensils.” Midoriya rolled his eyes. “But Mustard? No excuses.”

Without waiting for a reply, he marched over to Mustard and grabbed him by the back of his hoodie, dragging him like a disappointed older brother. Mustard made a noise of protest but didn’t resist.

Toga skipped after them like a schoolgirl on her way to a murder-themed picnic.

Dabi just sighed and lit a cigarette using his quirk.

“…Idiots,” he said fondly.

---

The trio arrived at another abandoned warehouse, this one half-collapsed, rusted beams sticking out like broken bones. The air inside was thick with dust and the faint scent of oil and metal.

"So... how am I going to train?" Mustard asked, crossing his arms. His voice carried more nervousness than he wanted to admit.

"Easy," Midoriya said with a grin that didn’t reach his eyes. "You’re going to learn to use a knife."

"A knife?" Mustard blinked.

"And you're training with her," he added, pointing at Toga, who stood behind him with an expression that could only be described as dangerously enthusiastic.

Mustard turned to her slowly. She smiled wide, her head tilting slightly.

"Oh no..." he muttered.

They got to work. Toga began showing him the basics—stance, grip, quick jabs. Despite her chaotic energy, her teaching was surprisingly methodical. Sharp, precise. Like she’d done this a thousand times. Probably had.

Midoriya sat nearby on a stack of crates, his body present, but his mind elsewhere—lost in the swirling storm that was Sevvel.

‘He’s got super strength, speed, void attacks… and he’s a master swordsman. My energy slash didn’t even scratch him. My claws? Worthless against that blade. The strength technique would leave me too open…’

He clenched his fists.

‘So… how do I beat him?’

He stared at a broken pipe dripping water, as if it might answer.

‘Maybe if I attack from behind? But how do I even get there? His sword strikes, I can block. The void blasts, I can dodge. I just need to wait… wait for the right moment. A real opening this time.’

A smirk crawled onto his face.

‘Yeah… he only won because of that little trick. But that won't work twice.’

With new confidence igniting in his chest, Midoriya stood up and walked over to Mustard and Toga.

"Alright. That’s enough stabbing air. Let’s do this for real. You’re up against Toga. Don’t die."

Mustard blinked. "Wait, wha—"

Toga lunged at him with a giggle.

---

The day had come. The sun hung high over the arena—a repurposed industrial dome just outside the city, where rusted metal and old machinery gave the place a gladiatorial vibe. The ring was cracked concrete, surrounded by walls that echoed every breath.

Midoriya stood on one side, claws loose at his sides, eyes locked on the opponent in front of him.

Sevvel.

He stood calmly, his oversized black blade resting casually on his shoulder. His armor was dented, his cloak ragged—but his presence hadn’t diminished in the slightest. In fact, he looked more focused than before.

"Shall we begin?" Sevvel asked, his voice as calm as a storm about to start.

Midoriya nodded once.

No words. No taunts. Just purpose.

The bell rang—some rusted metal pole falling to the floor.

And the fight began.

Chapter Text

Bakugo was walking to the principal, who had summoned him to his office.

“Tch... What does that damn rat want now,” he mumbled under his breath.

Upon arriving, Bakugo didn't bother to knock and simply barged in.

“What do you want?” he snapped, plopping down in the chair across from Nezu.

Nezu offered a polite smile—more formality than genuine warmth.

“Young Bakugo, I have some very important news. And I believe you should be the first to hear it.”

Nezu sat upright and adopted a more serious expression.

“Tell me… do you know who Redtooth is?”

Bakugo scoffed.

“Yeah, I’ve seen him on the news. Some knockoff villain with a stupid name. If that’s all, I’m leaving.”

He stood up, but froze as Nezu dropped the bomb.

“I’m… sorry to say this, but we believe Redtooth is your old classmate, Midoriya Izuku.”

Bakugo stood still, stunned.

‘What?’

He slammed his hand on Nezu’s desk.

“LIAR! He’s dead! And—and he’d NEVER become a villain! So shut your mouth, you—!”

“I saw his face,” Nezu cut in sharply. “Everything matches. Redtooth first appeared six months after Midoriya’s death—coinciding exactly with the disappearance of his body.”

He calmly sipped his tea.

“His height, his voice, and more than that—he used a nickname only he ever called you.”

Nezu’s eyes met Bakugo’s.

“Izuku Midoriya experienced a posthumous Quirk awakening… and he is Redtooth.”

Bakugo dropped back into the chair, as if the weight of the truth crushed him.

“He… he’s alive… but he’s a villain…”

‘It’s my fault… It’s always been my fault…’

---

Shigaraki was in a surprisingly good mood—he had just ranked up in League of Legends with Spinner. As they talked, Midoriya, Toga, and Dabi entered, just returning from a fight in the underground ring.

“Hey Red! How’d the fight go?” Shigaraki grinned.

Midoriya didn’t even glance at him. He walked straight past, heading into a dark corner behind some crates.

Shigaraki’s grin faded.

“What happened?” he asked Dabi.

“He lost,” Dabi said bluntly. “He lasted longer this time, but didn’t land a single hit. It turned into a battle of endurance… and he ran out of it first.” Dabi paused. “Now we owe 80,000 yen for next week.”

Shigaraki frowned, eyes flicking toward the boxes where Midoriya sat alone.

“Let him be for today. Tomorrow, tell him to come up with a plan to get the money.”

Before Dabi could respond, Midoriya stood up and silently walked out of the warehouse.

Everyone watched him go.

Moments later, Toga slipped out after him, trailing quietly in the shadows.

---

Midoriya wandered the dim streets of Musutafu, with Toga tailing him.

She watched from afar as he stopped to buy a single red rose.

‘A rose?!’ Toga thought with a pang of jealousy. ‘Does he have a girlfriend?! Who’s it for?!’

Her heart pounded, and she followed him until he reached a graveyard. After searching for a few minutes, Midoriya stopped at one specific grave. He knelt and placed the rose gently on the headstone.

Toga’s heart calmed.

‘Oh… it was for that,’ she thought, a bit embarrassed by her earlier assumption.

But then she looked at Midoriya again—and her heart twisted. It was a strange pain. Not physical. Not logical. Just… ache.

‘Why does it hurt seeing him like that…? He’s not even crying… he’s just standing there. But maybe… maybe I should try to help him?’

She slowly approached and stood beside him in silence.

The headstone read:

Inko Midoriya

Beloved friend, daughter, and mother.

After a long silence, Toga softly asked, “Who was she?”

Midoriya didn’t answer at first. But then, barely audible, he said,

“My mom.”

“How… how did she pass away?” she asked gently.

His fist clenched, not in sadness—but rage. Pure, simmering rage. He remembered what Sir Death had shown him.

“All Might,” he hissed. “Because of All Might, she’s dead.”

Then his voice broke, and his anger faded into something hollow.

“But I’m too weak... How can I avenge her if I can’t even beat a nobody in a ring? I’m still useless. I’m still... Deku...”

His voice trembled. Tears welled up, and he tried to blink them away. He failed.

“Deku?” Toga echoed. “What does that mean?”

“It comes from Dekunobō... Puppet. Idiot. Useless.”

Toga frowned, then suddenly smiled with childlike mischief.

“I think it comes from Dekiru! It means ‘You can do it!’”

She latched onto his arm.

“So yeah—you are a Deku. Because I know you can do it!”

Midoriya chuckled softly and patted her head.

“Thanks, Toga.”

She shook her head defiantly.

“Nuh-uh. From now on, call me Himiko!”

Midoriya blinked.

“Alright… Himiko… you should call me Izuku then”

Her grin widened.

“You have a cute name, Izuku.”

Midoriya turned beet red.

---

When they got back at the warehouse Midoriya approached Mr. Compress, ignoring the others’ glances.

“Hey. Do you know how I can get 80,000 yen in less than a week?”

Compress stroked his chin.

“Well… robbing a bank could get you even more. But that takes time and planning.”

Midoriya briefly thought of Binje, Rocodile and Don Damingo.

“There is a place,” Compress added. “You can get illegal jobs there—fast cash, dangerous work. Two days, maybe less.”

Midoriya’s eyes gleamed with determination.

“Then lead the way.”

---

Toga, Midoriya and Mr Compress arrived at what looked like an abandoned building. Mr. Compress knocked on the door and called out with a cheerful tone:

“Hey, John! Remember me? It’s Tsuji—Mr. Compress!”

The door creaked open to reveal a man barely three feet tall, covered in thick black fur with burly arms and legs. He looked like a walking bear with a mutation quirk.

“Hi, John! How are you?” Compress greeted him with a grin.

“The name’s Josh,” the bear-man growled. “And I’m fine now. Wasn’t so fine when you left me behind at that bank for the cops to grab me.”

A nervous drop of sweat ran down Mr. Compress’s forehead as the memory hit him.

“Well, in my defense,” he said, forcing a smile, “you and your brother were planning to kill me afterward.”

Josh stepped toward him, muscles tensed and eyes dark. Midoriya immediately raised his clawed hands and moved between them.

“Back off, Teddy Bear. Let’s not turn this into a bloodbath, alright?”

Josh snorted through his nose but backed away, stepping aside just enough to let them in.

“One wrong move,” he warned, “and you're done for. Got it?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Midoriya muttered, not even sparing him a glance.

Mr. Compress led them through the building, down a series of dim hallways and creaky stairs to the basement. Eyes followed them along the way—some cautious, some impressed. Everyone recognized them: the League of Villains.

They finally reached a large task board cluttered with papers. After scanning through several, only one stood out with a reward that matched what they needed—100,000 yen.

“Well then,” Midoriya said, holding the paper up, “this must be the one.”

“It says we have to abduct someone. Doesn’t sound too hard. We just need their coordinates and with Kurogiri’s help, it’ll be a piece of cake,” said Mr. Compress.

“Yeah, sounds easy… Unfortunately, we can’t count on Kurogiri for this one,” Midoriya added, then shrugged. “Still, how hard could it be?”

He had no idea just how wrong he was.

Chapter Text

Mr. Compress had gone to meet the man who’d made the request. After a few minutes, he returned, adjusting his mask.

“He’ll be here soon,” he told Midoriya and Toga.

“Wanna grab a drink while we wait?” asked Midoriya with a relaxed grin.

“Are you sure we should be spending money right now?” Mr. Compress raised an eyebrow, a clear note of doubt in his voice.

“Come on, we’ll make enough to pay for it even after paying the debt” Midoriya insisted, flashing a friendly grin.

“Yeah! What he said,” chimed in Toga, smiling wide, enough to make Midoriya chuckle.

So they went for some drinks. Mr. Compress got a cup of tea, Midoriya took a soda, and Toga — in her usual way — got blood from Midoriya, who offered his arm.

“Tell me, Red,” said Mr. Compress, swirling his tea, “why did you really join the League? You know why we did — but you’re still a mystery.”

Midoriya shrugged. “Simple. I hate All Might. Shigaraki hates All Might. So we work together to take down All Might and everything he stands for. That’s it.” He spoke so casually it might have been about the weather.

As Midoriya explained Toga thought 'So he is just a villain because of his mother' she remembered the times when she drank his blood 'I can't become him, so I will understand how he is! Why he is...' she thought with determination.

She was going to say something but before anyone could say more, a tall man approached — at least 6’7”, with a beard flowing down to his waist like a river of black iron. He wore a ragged cloak made of animal hides, heavy fur resting on his shoulders, eyes sharp as a hawk’s even if his face looked calm.

“Are you the ones who took my request?” he asked in a deep, gravelly voice that rumbled through the table.

‘If someone told me this guy was a Viking, I’d believe them... I have to tell that joke to Toga,’ thought Midoriya, letting a grin spread across his face.

“Yeah, that’s us,” he answered. “So… who’s the unlucky soul we have to abduct? Your paper only said Bring Korin.”

The man scratched his head, as if searching for words, then sat down across from them. “Uhhh, it’s not a person. It’s a fox, actually. I want you to bring it back to me — without harming it.”

He handed them a flyer, the colors half-faded, with the headline Come see the new exhibit: a fox with a rare quirk! Midoriya barely glanced at the rest of the print.

Midoriya raised an eyebrow. “Sooo you want us…” he pointed at the trio, “to steal you a fox…” then pointed at the Viking-like man, “with a quirk…” then waved the flyer.

The man nodded, scratching at his beard again. “Yes.”

Midoriya stared at him for a moment before flashing an easy grin. “Okay then. Two days from now, at midnight. That work?”

“It does,” the man agreed.

“Just two things. Where do we deliver it, and what’s your name?”

“The forest next to the zoo,” he answered, standing up with a heavy, earth-shaking step. “And my name…” he hesitated, eyes distant for a moment, “…call me Ranger.” Then he turned and left.

A silence fell over the table. Midoriya leaned back, grin returning. “So what’s the plan for kidnapping a fox for the Viking?”

“A Viking? Really?” teased Toga, giggling, but not denying the resemblance.

“Even if I love seeing you two flirt, we should get going,” said Mr. Compress interrupting them. Midoriya just looked away, cheeks pink.

---

Procrastination, the one weakness even villains shared. The three stood in front of the zoo on the last night, at eleven p.m., one hour before the handover time.

“So… what’s the plan, Izuku?” asked Toga, popping the lock on the entrance with a mischievous grin.

Midoriya flinched at hearing his name, then forced a calm face. “Simple. You find the fox. Mr. Compress, you figure out its quirk. I’ll handle security. Once we have it, Compress traps it in a marble.”

They split up after entering. Midoriya slipped through the shadows, focusing on controlling his presence. The zoo stank of wet fur and hay, lights buzzing faintly overhead.

He avoided cameras, moving past cages full of dark shapes. When he reached the security shack, he scratched softly at the door, baiting the guard.

A man stepped out, half-asleep, carrying a tranquilizer gun. “Damn fox must have escaped again,” he mumbled, looking around in the gloom.

Before he could react, Midoriya’s claws flashed across his throat, ending him in a single motion. Blood gushed down the man’s uniform as his eyes went glassy and empty.

Midoriya sighed, licking a bit of blood from his fingers. “At least this will help me refill,” he muttered, crouching to drink more. Warm, coppery, alive. He could feel his body surge, a faint thrill running through him.

‘I don’t even remember how many more I need to level up,’ he thought, wiping his mouth before checking the security monitors.

He saw Toga lounging on a bench, legs swinging idly, clearly bored. He memorized the path and went to meet her.

When he arrived, Mr. Compress was already there, rolling a marble between his gloved fingers.

“So, what’s the fox’s quirk?” Midoriya asked.

Mr. Compress stopped playing with the marble. “It gets stronger and bigger if it senses a threat from another animal. Humans don’t count. But I have no idea why Ranger wants it.”

Midoriya shrugged. “Who cares? If he pays, that’s enough.” He turned to the girl of the group. “Toga, guide us, please.”

Toga tilted her head and looked away, teasing. “Sorry, who?”

Midoriya frowned. “You?”

“But what did you call me?”

“I called you Tog—” Midoriya froze as the graveyard memory flashed in his head. He exhaled and smiled at her. “Himiko, would you guide us, please?”

Toga beamed at him, eyes sparkling. “Okay, Izuku,” she purred.

‘They’re calling each other by name?! I didn’t even know Red’s real name! They have to be a couple now… I have to tell Magne and Twice,’ thought Mr. Compress.

Toga led them to the exhibit — a fox pit, with one white fox lying calmly at the center. Its red eyes followed them in eerie silence.

They vaulted the fence and surrounded it easily, but just as Mr. Compress reached out, Midoriya felt a familiar voice slither through his mind:

‘Let’s make things more interesting, shall we?’

The fox began to grow, white fur bristling, muscles twisting, paws swelling to the size of a carwheel.

“Uhhh, I don’t think I can compress that,” said Mr. Compress, leaping back.

“What?! It’s not supposed to react to humans!” yelled Toga, whipping out a knife from nowhere.

Midoriya clenched his fists. ‘That voice — Sir Death. He must have enraged the fox, but why? What’s his goal?’ he thought, narrowing his eyes at the creature.

The monster fox lunged at Toga, claws slicing air. Midoriya intercepted it with a kick that rattled its skull. Mr. Compress threw marbles that burst into chunks of concrete mid-flight, but the fox barely flinched.

‘If debris doesn’t work, I’ll have to pierce its skull… why do my enemies always resist one type of attack?’ Midoriya growled in his head as he dodged a swipe aimed at his chest.

Toga slipped behind the fox, hiding her presence. Midoriya shouted, “More debris!”

Mr. Compress sent another volley of concrete, and Midoriya dashed in from the right.

The fox retreated to avoid Midoriya, not sensing Toga at its back. With a gleeful grin, she slashed its rear leg with two knives, blood spraying against the enclosure walls.

The creature staggered, but still tried to snap Mr. Compress neck, he was too near the monster for him to evade it, Midoriya, without thinking about it, leapt forward, driving his claws deep into the fox’s skull. The beast trembled once, then fell limp, shrinking back to its normal size.

As Midoriya looked down at the fox he thought 'Why didn't I just knocked him out? Was it because of the risk of losing Mr. Compress?' his breath got heavier 'The thought of losing a partner? No, no, it must be because he is an important piece in the game, I couldn't risk losing it... Yeah... It's because of that'

Midoriya stepped off its corpse, breathing heavily. “Uhh… how exactly do we explain this to Ranger?”

No one answered. They gathered the now-normal fox dead body, carried it out of the zoo, and walked into the forest in tense silence — their mission ruined by a mystery neither of them fully understood.

Chapter Text

Mr. Compress, Toga, and Midoriya were making their way to the forest where Ranger was waiting. The mood was as dead as a funeral without flowers. With the fox gone, there was no way to collect the money as planned — their only hope was to convince Ranger to hire them for another job.

The deeper they went, the darker the forest became. The birds had fallen silent, even the crickets refused to sing. The sky vanished behind a ceiling of dense leaves, and the air grew so heavy it felt like it was crushing their chests. A chill ran down Midoriya’s spine.

'This doesn’t look good…'

They finally reached the forest’s heart, a clearing where a hole in the canopy let the sky peek through. There, Ranger waited, sitting on a stone, tearing at raw meat with his teeth, the corpse of a dog at his feet. As soon as he saw them, he stood up slowly, setting aside the meat and picking up a suitcase.

He stepped toward them, his gaze sharp as a blade.

“Where is the fox?”

Something about him was different. His presence felt more savage, like rage was boiling under his skin. The calm face from before was gone, replaced by a hungry, twisted excitement.

Midoriya swallowed hard. “Yeah… we had a bit of a problem.”

Ranger’s brow twitched, and he stepped closer, his aura turning as heavy as lead.

“What. Happened?”

Midoriya glanced at Mr. Compress, who pulled out a marble and released the dead fox from it. Midoriya gestured toward the lifeless body.

“We…uhm... killed him.”

A brutal silence followed. Rage flickered in Ranger’s eyes, but then, unexpectedly, a smile spread across his face.

“I wanted to hunt it. Feel the thrill of the chase. Normal animals are so… boring,” he said, his grin widening. His eyes locked onto theirs with a wild gleam. “But you…” — he took a step closer, making the trio back away — “you managed to kill him.”

Another step. His voice rumbled like distant thunder.

“And now… it’s my turn to hunt.”

He dropped the suitcase. His body began to twist and grow, thick dark fur spreading across his skin, his muscles bulging grotesquely, his jaw extending into a monstrous snout. When he finished, he was a massive bear-like creature with only the faintest glimmer of humanity left in its eyes.

Midoriya didn’t even have to think.

“RUN!” he yelled, and they scattered without hesitation.

The real challenge had begun.

---

Midoriya ran until his legs burned, then finally stopped, scanning the trees behind him with his observation ability. Nothing. No Ranger, no Toga, no Mr. Compress.

'This turned out worse than expected… but if we survive, we keep the money, so it’s not all bad' he told himself, forcing himself to breathe.

He cloaked his presence and began creeping carefully through the undergrowth, searching for any hint of the others. Everything was silent — until an explosion shattered the stillness.

'Great… we really shouldn’t have split up' he thought, heading toward the sound.

When he arrived, he saw Mr. Compress firing marbles that burst into chunks of debris midair, pelting Ranger, who took the hits without even flinching.

“Why is no one ever affected by my attacks?!” Mr. Compress whined, flinging more rubble.

Midoriya lunged at Ranger to distract him, but the monster didn’t move an inch. Midoriya could have sworn he saw the beast smile before swinging a massive claw straight at him. He barely dodged, rolling to the side.

Before Ranger could finish him off, Mr. Compress launched a concrete block into his face, giving Midoriya an opening. He pounced, tearing one of Ranger’s eyes out with his claws.

Ranger howled, the roar of someone that hadn’t felt pain in ages, then charged straight at Midoriya.

Midoriya moved to his blind side, slashing at his hind paw, but Ranger spun around fast, sweeping him up with a brutal swing that smashed him into a tree.

Ranger roared again, preparing to leap, but a knife came whistling through the air and buried itself in his good eye, blinding him. His scream was even worse this time, flailing wildly, swinging his claws in a panic. He tried to act threatening, but every movement screamed fear — he was no longer the hunter, but prey.

Toga stepped out of the shadows, pure venom in her voice.

“Don’t touch him.”

Blinded, Ranger had no chance. Toga slashed at his back legs, Mr. Compress buried him under a shower of debris, and Midoriya kept him distracted, his attacks dancing around the injured man.

Pinned and helpless, Ranger couldn’t fight back. Midoriya leapt onto his head, claws aimed straight for his neck, flashing a cruel smile.

“Good hunt.”

He drove his claws through Ranger’s throat, ending him.

He hopped down, looking at the others with a satisfied grin.

“Well then, we got the money!”

---

Hours later, the League’s base was as chaotic as ever. Shigaraki and Spinner were suffering through Mustard’s conspiracy theories when the trio returned. Shigaraki stood up quickly, grateful for the excuse to escape.

“Hey, Red! You got the money?”

Midoriya raised the suitcase proudly.

“Yep. Twenty thousand more than we needed.”

Shigaraki grinned.

“Enough for a Nintendo game, huh?”

Midoriya’s grin faded.

“You remember we left the Nintendo at the old base?”

Shigaraki’s grin died instantly.

“Right… we should steal another one…”

“And what game would we even play?” Midoriya asked, amused.

“Mortal Kombat!” Toga cut in before anyone else could answer.

Mr. Compress raised an eyebrow.

“I wonder why…”

Shigaraki shook his head.

“Tomorrow, deliver the money, okay Red?”

“No problem,” Midoriya said, sprawling onto some boxes with a long sigh.

---

The next day, Midoriya took the suitcase to the underground fighting club. Inside, he spotted Sevvel on the far side, calmly watching a match in the ring.

On his way over, Nans stepped in front of him.

“Hey kid, wanna rematch?” he said with a cocky grin, hands stuffed in his pockets.

Midoriya didn’t even look at him.

“Nah. I’ve fought enough this week. Besides, you’re too weak for me.”

He kept walking, leaving Nans glaring at his back. When he reached Sevvel, they exchanged a silent stare. Midoriya handed him the suitcase; Sevvel took it without a word and left, and Midoriya exited the same way, quietly.

But from the shadows, yellow eyes tracked him as he walked away — the eyes of a young woman with pointed fangs, who smiled to herself with wicked delight.

“One failed, two to go~” she whispered.

---

At the same time. In another place, also full of danger. A black haired man walked around, mind lost in equstions and formulas. His white gloves and coat seemed to be a silent shield from all the dangers, well, germs, of the world. A bird mask covering his mouth, eyes lethal and alluring.

Overhaul paced through his hideout. He knew how to make a permanent Quirk-erasing bullet, but mass production was impossible with his current funds.

“It’s like having the recipe and the key ingredient… but nothing else,” he muttered.

As he walked, a TV in a nearby room caught his ear:

"The League of Villains has struck again, attacking the Mustafu Zoo and killing one man and a rare fox—"

He didn’t need to hear the rest. It clicked instantly, if he worked with the League, the investors would pour in the money, and he could finally mass-produce.

A cold grin crossed his face.

“Now I just need to find them…”

Chapter Text

Everyone in the League was at the warehouse—except for Dabi, Twice, and Kurogiri. The latter still hadn’t returned from a mission Shigaraki had assigned him, while Dabi and Twice were out searching for new recruits. Midoriya had been given the same task, but after the incident at the fighting club, Shigaraki ordered him to stay put.

After a long stretch of doing nothing, the door creaked open and Twice walked in with a stranger.

“Hey guys! I found a potential recruit. Look! Who cares about it?” Twice said with his usual mix of enthusiasm and chaos, leading a man in a brown coat with a bird-like mask covering his mouth.

'Something's off about him' thought Midoriya the moment he laid eyes on the guest.

Shigaraki stood up slowly. His voice made it clear he wasn’t impressed. “So… what do you want?”

The guest stepped confidently into the center of the warehouse. “Hello, League of Villains. I’m Overhaul, leader of the Shie Hassaikai. I’m here to offer you a proposition.”

The League didn’t seem too thrilled.

“Since All For One’s fall, the underworld has lacked a king. I plan to take that throne,” Overhaul declared. “So I’m offering you a chance to join the Shie Hassaikai.”

His words were met with cold, hateful glares. To them, this was just some no-name punk asking them—the League—to be his subordinates.

“So, you're not here to join us,” Shigaraki muttered.

“No,” Overhaul replied, turning to face the rest of the League. “I’m offering you the opportunity to follow a better leader.” His gaze landed back on Shigaraki. “You had powerful assets—like Muscular and Stain—but you lost them quickly, and for nothing.”

'Stain wasn’t even part of the League... and I was the one who took down Muscular' Midoriya thought 'So neither of those were Shigaraki’s fault…'

“I’d make good use of your talents, with perfect efficiency. So, will you join me?” Overhaul finished, arms outstretched like a messiah.

“You really think we’re going to submit to you?!” Magne snapped, her voice burning with fury. She lunged at Overhaul, magnet activated and rage in full force.

Overhaul sighed, removing one glove and raising his hand toward her.

Midoriya’s instincts flared. 'His quirk requires direct contact... and if he wears gloves, it must be dangerous. Probably something like Shigaraki’s—wait... Magne’s in danger! Too useful to die!'

He swung his claws, launching an energy blast to knock her away.

Too late.

Overhaul’s fingers brushed against her, and Magne exploded. Blood and legs were all that remained.

The League stood in stunned silence. They were villains, yes—but they hadn’t expected anyone to die today.

Mr. Compress didn’t hesitate. “He’s too dangerous! I’m going to compress him!” he shouted, rushing forward. But just as he reached out, a dart flew from the shadows and struck his right arm.

Midoriya tackled him to the ground before he could touch Overhaul, or Overhaul could touch him.

“Don’t,” Midoriya warned, claws raised, “He’s not alone. If they used a dart instead of a bullet, it’s probably not lethal. I’m guessing tranquilizer.”

'Not bad' Overhaul thought, watching Midoriya with interest. 'He figured out that much in seconds... and he tried to save the man. He didn’t know about my quirk—he deduced it on the fly. This one could be useful.'

Then Shigaraki charged.

But before he could reach Overhaul, part of the warehouse wall exploded. A massive man with a similar mask stepped between them.

Shigaraki’s hand grazed him, crumbling him into dust.

Shigaraki jumped back, landing beside Midoriya and adopting a fighting stance.

More masked men poured into the warehouse, each one eerily silent.

Overhaul turned away, slipping his glove back on. “One death for each of us,” he said coolly. “I’ll contact you later—maybe to renew this offer... or propose an alliance.”

The League said nothing as the Shie Hassaikai left, hatred smoldering in their eyes.

'He killed Magne' Midoriya thought, 'He... may be useful later. But he’s just a rook..'

---

A few days later, Shigaraki and Midoriya sat across from Overhaul at the Shie Hassaikai base. The room was painfully white for Midoriya’s taste—sterile, cold—but at least the sofa was comfortable.

“So, what do you want?” asked Shigaraki, arms crossed.

“Simple,” Overhaul said, resting his gloved hands on the table. “I have something you don’t. And you have something I need. I’m proposing an exchange.”

Shigaraki raised an eyebrow. “And what is it you think you have... and what do you want from us?”

Overhaul pulled out a small metal box and set it on the table between them. He opened it slowly, revealing a few sleek, silver bullets—the same type fired at Mr. Compress.

“These,” he said calmly, “are permanent Quirk-erasing bullets. I also have temporary versions—like the one I used on your man.”

'Well, well... this changes the game entirely. And it's completely op...' thought Midoriya before snorting. 'I’m starting to sound like Shigaraki now… great.'

Overhaul continued, “But to produce them, I need funding. With your... reputation, I could attract the right investors.”

“So you want us to...?” asked Midoriya, voice laced with suspicion.

“I want some of your members to work with me,” Overhaul said smoothly. “Temporarily, of course. Just to make it look like we’re partnered.”

Shigaraki narrowed his eyes. “And which members are you asking for?”

“Four,” Overhaul answered without hesitation. “Kurogiri, Twice, Himiko Toga… and Redtooth.”

'Huh. I’m surprised he didn’t ask for Dabi,' thought Midoriya.

“Kurogiri’s unavailable,” Shigaraki replied coldly. “But I’ll ask the others.”

Then Overhaul turned directly to Midoriya. “What about you, Redtooth? Are you in?”

“Yeah, why not?” Midoriya answered with a half-smile. 'If he turns out to be a threat, I’ll kill him myself,' he added darkly in his mind.

With that, the meeting came to an end. Midoriya and Shigaraki left the facility, heading back to a house they totally hadn’t broken into earlier.

On the way back, they talked in low voices.

“So,” Midoriya said casually, “what’s the plan? Infiltrate and kill him? Or infiltrate, see if he’s useful, and then kill him?”

“The second one,” Shigaraki replied without hesitation. Then he grinned, eyes glinting with malice. “If you do kill him... make him suffer, okay? For Magne”

“Of course,” said Midoriya, a twisted smile creeping across his face.

Chapter Text

Toga, Twice, and Midoriya were riding a train to Osaka. Their goal: infiltrate Overhaul’s base. Some of his men were supposed to be waiting at the station. For now, they had a bit of time.

“Come on, Izuku! We should just fight him! No need to sneak around!” Toga whined, cheeks puffed out as she shook his arm like a grumpy child.

“To—” Midoriya tried to respond, but Toga tightened her grip.

“Himiko,” he corrected calmly, “the enemy’s too powerful for us to take on directly. And he could be useful. That’s why we infiltrate.”

“He’s right… BUT I REFUSE!” Twice shouted, drawing stares from nearby passengers.

The trio weren’t easily recognizable—long brown coats, scarves, sunglasses, and hats covered their identities—but still, they needed to avoid attention.

“Shut up, Twice! You want the heroes to land on us?!” Midoriya hissed.

“No,” Twice replied… while nodding.

A few minutes of jokes and nervous tension later, they arrived at the station. As they stepped off the train, they spotted four men in black suits flanking a tall figure in a white coat with a bird-like plague mask. Midoriya instantly recognized him from both the warehouse encounter and the last meeting.

The five men approached, the masked man leading.

“Names?” the man asked.

“Redtooth, Himiko Toga, and Twice,” Midoriya replied coolly. “Yours?”

“Chronostasis.”

“Okay, but I’m calling you Chrono. Your name’s too long,” Midoriya added with a grin barely visible behind his scarf. Toga and Twice giggled.

Chrono didn’t find it funny. Only his boss called him that. But he simply said, “Follow me,” and led them through the station. The other four bodyguards formed a protective ring around them.

They exited the station and climbed into a black van that drove them to their destination.

---

Now, they stood in front of Overhaul. Behind him were Chrono, another man, tall and in a black cape, bird mask, cigarette, and hat, and a small, fully black figure—also wearing a bird mask.

“Welcome. From now on, you’ll follow my orders. Understood?” Overhaul wasted no time.

Before Toga or Twice could retort, Midoriya stepped forward.

“All right then—what’s the first mission?”

‘He agreed quickly... Maybe I can make him loyal,’ Overhaul thought, before speaking again.

“First, explain your quirks.”

Toga snapped back immediately.

“Yeah, like we’re gonna tell you,” she said, crossing her arms and looking away.

“She’s right! She doesn’t know!” shouted Twice, copying her pose.

The man in the black cape turned to Twice. “Explain your quirk.”

“I can clone anyone whose body measurements I know—arms, legs, height, the works. I can make up to two clones. For… personal reasons, I can’t clone myself,” Twice explained with odd enthusiasm.

“Twiiiice! Why’d you tell them?!” Toga groaned.

“Sorry... I regret nothing!” he replied proudly.

Midoriya, unlike them, immediately understood. ‘That guy… he can force people to tell the truth. So I’ll answer myself first—if I hesitate, it’ll look suspicious.’

The caped man turned to Toga. “Explain your quirk.”

“My quirk lets me transform into anyone whose blood I drink. The more blood, the longer I stay transformed. I can’t copy quirks,” she blurted out—then slapped her hands over her mouth.

“See?! Not my fault!” Twice declared, pointing dramatically.

The man then turned to Midoriya.

Midoriya considered his options. ‘If his quirk works on me, and I say I don’t have one, I’m screwed. But if I answer first, they might just accept it. I blocked Shinso’s quirk once—maybe I can block his too.’

So, without waiting, he spoke.

“My quirk gives me red claws and fangs. Enhanced strength, agility, all that. And if I drink blood, I get stronger.”

‘He answered freely… but he could be lying,’ Overhaul thought. He gave a signal.

The man with the cape stepped forward and commanded, “Explain your quirk.”

Midoriya focused, doing the same mental trick he used to block Shinso’s quirk. It worked. He repeated his answer word for word:

“My quirk gives me red claws and fangs. Enhanced strength, agility, all that. And if I drink blood, I get stronger.”

‘He said it under the quirk’s effect… which means he’s telling the truth from the start. He’ll be in Shie Hassaikai soon,’ Overhaul thought, a wicked grin spreading beneath his mask.

Chapter Text

A day had passed since Midoriya, Toga, and Twice had arrived at the Shie Hassaikai. They had been given separate rooms and a brief tour of the base—though, with some parts deliberately skipped.

Today, Overhaul had summoned them for something he wanted to show.

The trio stood before Overhaul, flanked by Chrono and Mimic—his loyal bodyguards. The room they were in was white, almost hospital-like, which no longer surprised them since the entire base carried the same sterile design. There was no smell, no dust, not even a single stain. Midoriya had already concluded that Overhaul was obsessed with cleanliness—though not to the point of it distracting him in battle.

“So, what do you want now?” Toga asked, arms crossed, clearly annoyed just by being in the base.

Overhaul ignored her rudeness. “We’ll be working together, so I’ll show you an important part of the production of my Quirk-Erasing bullets, as well as Trigger, the Quirk-enhancing drug.”

‘He’s doing this to make us trust him more… but Twice and Himiko wouldn’t care about that. This is for me.’ thought Midoriya.

'he's trusting us with this information? Twice and Himiko wouldn't care about his trust, they just won't. But what can he say to try to convince me?' thought Midoriya

Overhaul led them into a laboratory, its walls lined with chalkboards full of formulas. The actual space to experiment in was small; the rest of the room was nothing but notes and chalk. Clearly, Overhaul worked here alone, keeping track of his successes and failures on the boards.

Midoriya’s eyes scanned the formulas with interest, while the other two simply played around.

Midoriya stopped at one board, studying it carefully, while Overhaul silently observed him from behind, waiting for his reaction.

‘He’ll make a joke about how complicated it looks. That’s his type,’ thought Overhaul. He had already studied the trio before they arrived, though Midoriya’s background remained a mystery.

“This formula is fake,” Midoriya said, without looking away from the board.

“Are you saying the boss is lying?! How dare you?!” Mimic yelled at him.

Overhaul raised a hand, signaling Mimic to calm down. “Why do you say it’s fake?” he asked.

Still focused on the chalkboard, Midoriya replied, “First of all, it says here—” he pointed at one formula, “—to freeze the serum at -273°C for 30 minutes. That’s impossible; it’s nearly absolute zero, a temperature you can’t sustain. And here—” he pointed at another line, “—it talks about stable tetravalent oxygen. Impossible. Oxygen can only be bivalent.” Finally, he looked over his shoulder at Overhaul. “You’re just trying to mess with us, and here I thought you trusted us.”

“So, you know advanced chemistry?” Overhaul asked, impressed.

“Yeah. I learned from… All For One. But you’re clearly more advanced than I am,” Midoriya replied, avoiding mentioning All For One’s doctor.

‘He could be even more useful than I thought,’ Overhaul considered.

“Well then, from now on, you’re going to help me,” Overhaul said. ‘He’s already in my hand; I just need to train him more.’

Midoriya smiled, his own mind racing with possibilities and conspiracies. “Yeah, it would be an honor.”

---

Midoriya spent a lot of time working with Overhaul—helping, learning, and discovering. One critical detail he learned was that the serum used a secret ingredient, though Overhaul never revealed what it was. Over time, the two began to trust each other more, enough that Midoriya even considered convincing Shigaraki to cooperate with the Shie Hassaikai.

Not everyone approved of their partnership. Mimic and Chrono believed Midoriya was simply spying on their boss, while Toga was jealous—mostly because she despised Overhaul.

At Overhaul’s request, Mimic, Toga, Twice, and Nemoto—the one whose Quirk could force someone to tell the truth—sat playing poker. Midoriya had suggested a card game, though none of them seemed to enjoy it.

“Can you remind me why we’re playing this?” Toga asked.

“The boss ordered it,” Nemoto replied.

“And?” she pressed.

“Red told us to,” Twice added.

“Yeah, right… ugh.” Toga groaned, tossing her cards on the table. “I wanna spend time with Red!” she whined. She avoided calling him “Izuku” because he’d told her to keep that name secret from the Yakuza.

“Well, we agree on one thing—we don’t want that brat hanging out with our boss!” Mimic snapped.

Just then, Overhaul and Midoriya entered the room.

“So, if you sold the Quirk-Erasing bullets to heroes, and the Recovery bullets to villains, you’d make even more money,” Midoriya suggested.

“I must admit, creating fights where Quirks are erased and restored could be very profitable… but what if the heroes only used them on prisoners?” Overhaul countered.

“If they escape, they’ll still need to recover their Quirks,” Midoriya pointed out.

“That’s true…”

Before they could continue, Toga jumped up and rushed toward Midoriya. “Reeeeed! I wanna spend time with you!” she whined.

Midoriya blushed, scratching his neck awkwardly. “Sorry, Himiko, but I’m busy working with Overhaul.” He then turned to Overhaul. “I’m still trying to figure out the secret ingredient.”

“You want to guess?” Overhaul asked, a grin hidden beneath his mask.

“Yeah, why not? I’ve got two ideas,” Midoriya said. “It’s either Chrono’s blood—which could permanently slow down Quirk response—or yours, which could destroy them outright.”

“Good guesses, but wrong,” Overhaul replied.

“Damn… then I have no idea what it is,” Midoriya admitted with frustration.

“You know what? I’ll show you,” Overhaul said.

Mimic and Nemoto froze in shock. The ingredient was top secret; if it were lost, they couldn’t produce any more serum.

“Boss, are you sure that’s a good idea?” Mimic asked carefully.

“Yes. I trust Redtooth,” Overhaul said.

Trying to help his boss, Nemoto turned to Midoriya and activated his Quirk. “Are you planning anything against Overhaul or the Shie Hassaikai?”

“No,” Midoriya answered immediately.

“Nemoto, why did you do that without my permission?” Overhaul’s tone darkened.

Nemoto shrank in his seat, eyes on the floor, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek. “Sorry… I just wanted to make sure he wasn’t planning to hurt you.”

‘He’s really not planning to hurt him?’ Toga thought.

“Don’t do that again. Understood?” Overhaul said firmly.

“Yes,” Nemoto replied quietly.

“Follow me,” Overhaul ordered Midoriya, who obeyed without question.

Chapter Text

Midoriya and Overhaul walked through the hallways when Midoriya asked, "Hey, what happened to the previous leader?”

Overhaul frowned at the question and replied, “Long story.”

Midoriya, unsatisfied, pressed again. “Okay… but is he dead? Retired? Or what?”

“In a coma,” Overhaul answered, still leaving out important details.

Midoriya frowned, then asked another question. “Why don’t you reconstruct him with your Quirk? I’m pretty sure that would work.”

“Like I said—long story,” Overhaul said calmly, though it was clear he was running out of patience.

They continued walking, shifting their conversation to chemistry and economics, until they reached a metal door with a code panel beside it.

Overhaul stepped forward and entered the code: 0341. Midoriya noticed how Overhaul didn’t even try to hide it—in fact, it almost felt like he was deliberately showing him the code.

As they entered, Midoriya was met with an unexpected sight: a pink room filled with boxed toys. But then he saw her—a girl, not older than six years old, sitting in the corner. Her arms and legs were covered in bandages, and her clothes looked like they came from a hospital. Her eyes were wide with fear, her whole body trembling at the sight of Overhaul.

“Her blood,” Overhaul began, “is the key to the serum—the medicine that will change the world.”

Midoriya’s gaze darkened. 'He’s using her blood?' he thought. 'is that why he won’t heal the old boss? because he wouldn’t approve? But if he’s willing to make a little girl suffer and keep his own boss in a coma… how can he be trusted? He can erase Quirks and has a loyal army. He’s dangerous…'

Midoriya approached the girl. She flinched, trembling even more as he got closer. When he knelt in front of her, she tried to make herself smaller, like she wished she could disappear.

“What’s your name?” Midoriya asked softly, gently placing a hand on her head.

Before the girl could answer, Overhaul spoke. “Eri. Her name is Eri, and her Quirk rewinds anything she touches. She killed her parents—rewound them into nothing.”

Eri didn’t hear Overhaul. Her thoughts were on the boy kneeling in front of her.

'His hand is… warm. And his voice too… Is… is he good?'

---

Toga and Twice were in the living room near their quarters. Twice was playing chess against himself—and somehow losing—while Toga was trying to understand one of Midoriya’s chemistry books, hoping it would help her be more like him.

Midoriya entered abruptly, interrupting their peace. “Tomorrow,” he said flatly.

“Huh?” Toga blinked at him. “Tomorrow what?”

“Tomorrow, we destroy the Shie Hassaikai,” Midoriya said coldly.

Toga and Twice both grinned. This was what they had been waiting for—to wipe out those who killed Magne.

“What’s the plan?” Toga asked, grin still plastered on her face.

Midoriya mirrored her grin. “Easy. Twice creates two Dabi clones to wipe out most of the Yakuza, Himiko sneaks up on Mimic and kills him, and I take care of Overhaul.”

Toga pouted, puffing out her cheeks. “Only Mimic?” she whined.

Midoriya smiled at her. “After him, you can go after anyone you want—just avoid an old man in a coma.” 'She can’t enter Eri’s room,' he thought, 'so that won’t be a problem.'

“Let’s do it! I don’t want to!” shouted Twice in his usual confusing way.

Midoriya thought about one more thing. 'What am I going to do with Eri?'

---

Twice, Toga, Midoriya, and the two Dabi clones—who had already been briefed—stood in front of Eri’s room. Only Midoriya knew who was inside.

“Any targets you want us to focus on?” the two Dabis asked in perfect unison, which neither of them liked.

Midoriya tapped his chin before answering. “Chrono or Rappa would be best. Your Quirks should handle them easily.”

Both nodded and headed down the right hallway—only to realize they were both taking the same path. They awkwardly tried switching directions a few times, making Toga, Midoriya, and Twice giggle, until Midoriya stepped in.

“You—right,” he ordered one clone. “And you—left.”

The clones followed the instructions.

Midoriya turned to Twice. “Stay here and make sure no one gets into this room, got it?”

Twice gave a strange salute. “Yes, sir!” he said while oddly shaking his head.

Toga tilted her head. “Why?”

Midoriya smiled. “I’ll explain later, okay?”

Toga nodded and skipped off to her targets with a cheerful bounce.

Midoriya watched her go, smiling—then his expression darkened. A twisted grin spread across his face, one dripping with hate. 'Time to clip this bird’s wings. Maybe I’ll even level up…'

He strode down the hallway with a single goal in mind: to kill Overhaul.

Chapter Text

Midoriya was starting to really enjoy his current self. Every time he saw someone, he killed them and drank their blood. By now, he’d consumed the blood of over thirty people—more than enough to level up.

He continued his mission until he reached the room he’d been searching for. Standing before the heavy metal doors, he felt as if he were about to enter a boss fight. He pushed them open and stepped inside, finding Overhaul, Chrono, and Nemoto.

As he entered, all three turned their attention toward him.

“Redtooth, do you need something?” Overhaul asked.

Midoriya had to make a split-second choice—fight head-on with honor or end things quickly with a literal backstab. He went with the first option. How hard could it be?

“Overhaul,” Midoriya began, stepping forward, “I really wanted to work with you, you know?” He stopped a few meters away. “But then… there was Eri.” His eyes darkened. “So… I’m here to end you.”

Overhaul and Chrono immediately took fighting stances, while Nemoto simply pulled a gun from his pocket.

“I also want to work with you, Redtooth,” Overhaul said. “If you back off now, we can still make it happen. If not, you’ll die here.”

Midoriya pretended to think about it. Then his grin sharpened.

“Nah,” he said. “I don’t work with bitches.”

And he lunged.

---

Toga was skipping down the hall, humming to herself, ignoring everyone she passed. She eventually reached the small room Mimic usually stayed in when he wasn’t shadowing Overhaul. She stepped inside, finding it annoyingly cramped—perfect for someone Mimic’s size, but not for her.

“Hi, Mimic!” she chirped.

The small man sat at a custom table, reading a newspaper. His face twisted at the sound of her voice.

“What do you want?” he snapped.

Toga dragged a chair over and sat in front of him, wearing a mock-innocent smile. “I just wanted to talk.”

Mimic eyed her suspiciously, though not for the right reasons.

“What do you want?” he repeated. “If you think you can convince me to give you something, you’re crazier than I thought.”

She scooted closer, her chair scraping the floor until she was beside him.

“I just want one little thing,” she said sweetly.

“What?” Mimic asked, still not looking at her.

“Just a tiny, little thing,” she added, almost singing the words.

“What do you want?!” Mimic barked, already irritated.

“I want you… to die,” she whispered—before stabbing him in the back, right where his heart was.

Mimic didn’t even have time to cry out. His voice was gone, replaced by a faint gasp as his life drained away. And then, he was still.

Toga giggled, her smile widening at the sight. She left the room happier than when she entered—though now, she decided, she would kill anyone she saw.

---

The Dabi clone that went left—Dabi 1—was incinerating anyone in sight, caring little about who they were. Everything was going according to plan until he suddenly felt dizzy, like he was drunk.

“What…?” he muttered.

From the ceiling, a man named Sakaki dropped down, laughing. “Try burning me now, you cheap Endeavor.”

Dabi 1 growled at the insult. Another man—a much larger one—rounded the corner. Katsukame.

“I knew that crappy League would betray us!” Katsukame shouted.

Dabi 1 grinned. “You two really are idiots, aren’t you?” Blue flames erupted from him, flooding the hallway and reducing both men to ash.

“I don’t need to aim to hit you,” he said to their remains.

---

The Dabi clone that went right—Dabi 2—was doing the same as his counterpart, burning everything in his path. Eventually, he encountered three of Overhaul’s strongest subordinates: Hojo, Tabe, and Setsuno—a crystal-skinned man, a man who could eat anything, and a skilled thief. Under normal circumstances, they might have been challenging opponents.

Dabi 2 simply engulfed them in blue fire and moved on without breaking stride.

How different things would've played out if the league was on their side.

---

Back with Midoriya, Overhaul dodged his first strike and reached to touch him, only for Midoriya to leap back. Chrono lashed at him with his hair, but Midoriya’s claws sliced clean through it.

Overhaul slammed his palm into the ground, warping it into jagged tendrils of dirt and rock that lunged at Midoriya.

'Damn it! He’s destroying and reconstructing the floor—I didn’t even think of that!' Midoriya realized, only to be jolted from his thoughts when Nemoto opened fire. He narrowly avoided the bullets.

Three opponents, all with more range than him.

Midoriya just grinned. He’d recently checked his new abilities—only two, but both powerful: Air Jump, which allowed him to leap in midair, giving him insane mobility, and Flash Step, a burst of incredible short-range speed. The catch? He couldn’t attack while in the middle of a Flash Step.

He chose Chrono as his first target. The hair user lashed out with both extensions, but Midoriya Flash Stepped into the air, then jumped horizontally, landing a few meters above Chrono. Another Flash Step put him right behind his target, and he drove his claws into Chrono’s neck.

Overhaul and Nemoto froze, stunned.

“Since when can you do that?” Overhaul demanded.

Nemoto echoed the question using his quirk—only to be met with a smirk.

“Your quirk’s useless against me,” Midoriya said. “I don’t follow your orders. That was all a trick. And you remember what I told you, right? The more blood I drink, the more abilities I gain.”

Nemoto’s frown deepened. Overhaul was impressed—but it didn’t change his intent to kill.

The ground surged again, jagged spikes driving toward Midoriya. He dodged and closed in, unleashing an energy attack. Overhaul raised a wall of stone in defense, but Midoriya Flash-Stepped to the front of it and punched straight through, smashing Overhaul in the face and sending him crashing into the far wall.

As Midoriya advanced, something stung his arm—a syringe, fired by Nemoto, who wore a triumphant grin.

“What now, Redtooth?” Nemoto taunted. “What will you do without your quirk?”

Midoriya’s grin only grew sharper. “I’ve always been quirkless.”

In a blur, he Flash Stepped in front of Nemoto and slashed his throat. Picking up the fallen gun and four quirk-erasing bullets, he turned to Overhaul and fired one into him.

“There. You won’t be a problem anymore,” Midoriya said darkly.

Overhaul glared, already planning to get his quirk back through Eri.

“And also…” Midoriya grabbed his arms. “You won’t be needing these.” With a vicious pull, he tore them off.

Overhaul screamed in agony. Midoriya watched him with satisfaction—though he wasn’t finished yet.

“I’ve got one more gift for you,” he said, dragging Overhaul into a nearby room. Inside lay the comatose old man who had been like a father to Overhaul.

“Please… don’t hurt him,” Overhaul begged. “He’s innocent.”

Midoriya leaned in, whispering in his ear. “And so was Eri.”

Then, without hesitation, he turned to the old man and slit his throat wide open.

“NO!” Overhaul’s cry was louder than when his arms were ripped away.

Midoriya simply smiled, turned his back on him, and walked away—now, to find Eri.

Chapter Text

As Midoriya reached the room, he found Toga, Twice, and the Dabis waiting for him. The clones were almost fighting each other, annoyed at copying one another’s movements, while Toga and Twice just laughed and giggled at the sight.

Midoriya allowed himself a small smile before asking, “Hey guys, how did you do with the others?”

Toga turned to him, and her eyes sparkled like stars the moment she saw Midoriya covered in the blood of the former Yakuza.

“Izuku!” she exclaimed as she ran toward him. “You look awesome!” she cheered, her grin stretching wide. “I killed the dwarf and a bunch of others!” Her expression might’ve been considered creepy to some—but not to Midoriya.

He gave her a gentle smile. “Good job, Himiko,” he said as he patted her head. Then he turned to the other three—or two, if you counted the Dabi clones as one. “And you? Any problems?”

The two Dabis scratched their heads before replying in unison, “No, they were too easy to kill.” Then they immediately turned on each other again, glaring with fresh irritation.

“No one even came! There were tons of enemies!” Twice complained.

Midoriya glanced at the two Dabis, who were nearly setting each other ablaze, and calmly walked up to one. Without hesitation, he cut off the clone’s arm, causing him to melt away.

“There,” Midoriya said casually as he turned to the remaining Dabi. “Now there’s only you.”

The surviving Dabi smirked in satisfaction before glancing at the door to Eri’s room. “What’s in there? Twice was guarding it, but why?”

Midoriya answered, “Let me show you.” He stepped up to the code panel, keyed it in, and opened the door.

The four entered, finding Eri curled up in the corner, hiding behind a stack of unopened toy boxes.

Midoriya crouched down and spoke gently, “Hi Eri, come on out. No one’s going to hurt you.”

Eri peeked out from behind the boxes and took a trembling step forward.

“She’s so cute!” Toga squealed, moving in for a hug—only to be stopped by Midoriya.

“She’s been through a lot. Don’t scare her,” he warned softly, before leaning in to whisper, “And don’t mention blood. She’s traumatized.”

Toga pouted but obeyed.

Dabi asked bluntly, “What happened to her?”

“Overhaul took her blood and used it to make quirk-destroying bullets,” Midoriya explained. “Her quirk lets her rewind things… and people.”

Dabi said nothing, but inside his thoughts turned dark. He remembered his father, and the torment inflicted on his younger brother. The memory made his hatred for Overhaul burn hotter.

Midoriya turned to Twice. “Twice, make a clone of Mustard.”

“I don’t know his sizes…” Twice muttered nervously.

Midoriya pulled a small notebook from his inner pocket, tore out a page, and handed it to him. “Here. Measurements for every member of the League. Memorize them all.”

With that, Twice created a clone of Mustard.

“Huh? What’s going on?” Mustard asked, looking around in confusion.

Midoriya stepped forward. “No time to explain. We need you to use your quirk on that girl.”

Mustard glanced at Eri, then complied without hesitation, putting her to sleep harmlessly.

“Huh… Why?” Toga asked, tilting her head.

“We can’t bring her with us,” Midoriya said firmly. “This isn’t a place for kids. If we hand her over to the heroes as she is, they’ll gain a powerful quirk. So instead, we’ll strip her quirk with a bullet and leave her with them. Their responsibility—but without the advantage.”

He walked up to Eri and shot her in the arm with a quirk-destroying bullet.

Standing up, he announced, “Alright. Time to leave.”

They destroyed Dabi’s and Mustard’s clones before making their way out of the base.

As they walked, Midoriya turned to the others. “Hey, how about some ice cream or something?”

“Yes, yes!” Toga exclaimed, bouncing with excitement.

“Absolutely! Of course not!” Twice… agreed?

They continued chatting casually as they left, completely unaware that once again, a blonde woman was watching them. She smiled faintly, her sharp fangs glinting, golden eyes tracking them as she whispered to herself:

“Second strike.”

---

Later that same day, the heroes prepared to raid the Shie Hassaikai’s base. Accompanied by the police, Sir Nighteye, Fatgum, and Ryukyu—the Number 10 hero—they stormed the compound.

But what they found inside wasn’t resistance. It was carnage. Bodies lay scattered, burned, stabbed, drained of every drop of blood.

As they searched deeper, they reached Eri’s room and found her asleep. Relieved, they carried her to safety.

And then they found Overhaul.

He was sobbing, broken, armless, utterly defenseless.

Sir Nighteye approached cautiously. “What happened? Who did this?”

Overhaul lifted his head, his gaze dark and venomous as he spat out the words:

“Redtooth. The League of Villains did this.”

Chapter Text

At a meeting room in UA, Nezu, Sir Nighteye, Ryukyu, All Might, and several other heroes were gathered, discussing the aftermath of the raid on the Shie Hassaikai.

“Please, could you explain to me what happened?” Nezu asked, sipping his tea calmly.

“It… it was a massacre,” answered Sir Nighteye, a dark look clouding his eyes.

Ryukyu nodded grimly. “There were only two survivors: the girl we rescued… and Kai Chisaki, a.k.a. Overhaul.”

Nezu flipped through the reports, his eyes narrowing. “Some victims were reduced to ashes, others stabbed, and others drained of every drop of blood. That matches the work of Dabi, Himiko Toga… and Redtooth.”

“Correct,” said Nighteye. “But the real problem is what Overhaul told us. He claimed Redtooth has multiple quirks. According to him, the more blood he drinks, the stronger he becomes.”

“Did he specify which quirks?” asked Nezu.

“Yes,” Ryukyu replied. “He has a dash-like ability, can jump midair, launch energy blasts, manifest red claws… and those red fangs of his.”

“He also shows advanced knowledge of chemistry and frighteningly quick tactical thinking,” added Nighteye.

“Redtooth is becoming more dangerous by the day—and if Overhaul is right, his power will only continue to grow,” Nezu said gravely.

“We need to uncover his identity quickly! Civilians must be warned,” Fatgum exclaimed.

“I… may have a theory,” Nezu said carefully.

“You do? Then speak,” Rock Lock demanded.

“It’s only a theory,” Nezu repeated. “But the same day Redtooth killed for the first time, the body of a boy named Izuku Midoriya disappeared. Combined with several other details… the evidence points to him.”

‘Izuku Midoriya… why does that name sound so familiar?’ All Might thought, his fists tightening at his sides.

“We must announce it,” Nighteye declared, as several other heroes nodded in agreement. “Exposing him will make it harder for him to remain in hiding.”

“I’ll make the announcement myself,” Nezu concluded.

---

“So… where are we going?” Toga asked, tilting her head playfully.

The League of Villains trekked through a dense forest. Only Shigaraki and Midoriya seemed to know their true destination.

“You’ll see soon enough,” Midoriya replied cryptically.

After a while, they stopped. To the others, the location looked no different from the rest of the woods.

“Uh… are you sure this is the place?” Mr. Compress asked skeptically.

“Yeah,” Shigaraki muttered, pulling out his phone. “Just need to send a message.”

The moment he pressed send, a gray smudge-like mist poured out from their mouths, swallowing them whole. In an instant, they were gone.

They reappeared inside a vast laboratory filled with tanks of purple liquid—each containing monstrous Nomu.

At the end of the hall stood rows of computers, and in front of them sat a bald man with a mustache, watching them closely from his chair.

“Doctor Garaki,” Redtooth said with a faint smirk. “Long time no see.”

“Redtooth, my best student,” the doctor greeted warmly.

“I was your only one…” Midoriya muttered under his breath.

The doctor turned to Shigaraki. “Tomura, Sensei left you a gift.”

“He did?” Shigaraki’s face lit up with excitement.

“But you must earn it,” Garaki continued. “To claim it, you’ll need to convince one of Sensei’s most loyal men. I’ll send you to his location once you’re ready.”

Shigaraki grinned, scratching at his neck. “Let’s do this.”

---

Moments later, the League found themselves in a barren wasteland at the foot of towering mountains.

Shigaraki held a strange speaker Garaki had given him.

“So all we have to do is turn this thing on?” Toga asked, leaning close.

“Exactly,” Shigaraki said, flicking the switch.

A chilling voice boomed from the speaker: “Machia.”

At first, nothing happened.

“I think it’s broken,” Dabi said flatly.

Then the ground shook. One of the mountains moved—rising, shifting—until it revealed itself not as rock, but as an enormous creature. Its muscles bulged like armor, claws and tusks jutting out like weapons. It looked less like a man and more like a kaiju.

“Damn,” Midoriya muttered, his eyes narrowing.

“Master?” the colossal beast growled, sniffing the air desperately.

The speaker crackled again. “Machia.”

Like a dog to its owner, Gigantomachia lunged forward, clutching the speaker in his massive hands. “Master…” he rumbled.

“Hey, Machia!” Shigaraki shouted. “I am Sensei’s successor. From now on, you follow me!”

Machia froze, then slowly turned his head, eyes burning. “You… are Master’s successor?” His voice thundered across the mountains.

A sudden roar shook the land. “THEN PROVE YOUR WORTH!”

Without hesitation, Machia charged straight at Shigaraki.

The League scattered, dodging debris as the titan’s attacks shattered the ground.

“Stay back!” Shigaraki barked. “If I have to prove myself… I’ll do it alone!”

Reluctantly, the others retreated to a safe distance, watching as Shigaraki dodged blow after blow.

“Well,” Midoriya said, leaning back against a tree. “Looks like this is going to take a while.”

Toga plopped down beside him with a grin. “Fine by me.”

Chapter Text

A month had passed with Shigaraki “fighting” Machia—but it was more like a game of don’t-get-stomped than an actual battle. During that time, the League hadn’t heard a single piece of news from the outside world. They didn’t even have internet.

Midoriya was playing a game of UNO with Twice, Mustard, and Toga, while Mr. Compress sat nearby watching—having been kicked out earlier for cheating.

The game went on until the radio, connected directly to the Doctor’s lab, suddenly crackled to life.

“Redtooth, are you there?”

Midoriya dropped his final card on the pile, winning the match, before standing up to answer.

“Yes, I am,” he said.

“I have a mission for you,” the Doctor’s voice came through. “There is an experiment I need you to recover. The location has high security, and Kurogiri isn’t available. I need you to take a few members and bring him to me.”

Midoriya smirked. “Him, you say? So it’s a man?”

On the other side of the radio, the Doctor allowed himself a smile at Midoriya’s deduction. “Correct. I will teleport you to the lab and give you his location. Just tell me who will come with you.”

Midoriya glanced at the others. Mr. Compress would be useful to steal it, Himiko is the best at sneaking in, but Dabi has more firepower… literally, he thought.

“Only three can come,” the Doctor added. “Any more would complicate things.”

That changes everything… Midoriya thought, then turned back to the group. “Alright. Who knows how to drive?”

Only Spinner raised his hand. “Me.”

Midoriya blinked, genuinely surprised. “Really? Only Spinner knows how to drive??”

“I didn’t have time for that,” Dabi said, arms crossed, looking away.

“I was too busy mastering magic tricks,” Mr. Compress chimed in.

“I never even tried—BUT I’M THE BEST AT IT!” Twice shouted.

Midoriya rubbed his temples in disbelief. “Well… I guess Spinner has to come. That leaves room for only one more. So who will it be?”

He pointed at each of them as he listed their roles: at Toga, “Stealth.” At Dabi, “Power.” At Mr. Compress, “Theft.” At Mustard, “Knockout.”

“Choose me!” Toga exclaimed eagerly.

Midoriya scratched the back of his neck. “Sorry, Himiko… but not this time.”

Toga pouted, folding her arms and looking away.

“Then who’s it gonna be?” Mustard asked.

Midoriya considered it for a moment before answering. “Dabi. He’s coming.”

Dabi smirked. “Finally. Some action.”

Midoriya leaned closer to the radio. “You heard that, right?”

“Of course,” the Doctor replied.

A gray mist began seeping out of their mouths, enveloping them until they vanished—teleported straight to the lab

Chapter Text

Dabi, Midoriya and Spinner stood in the lab, facing the Doctor.

“So,” Midoriya said the moment they were teleported in, “details, please.”

The Doctor leaned back in his chair, resting his right arm lazily on the armrest. “When the Master was taken to jail, we lost many operation sites. One of them contained an experiment called Nine.”

“Oh, him. Yeah, I remember something about that,” Midoriya muttered, recalling vague memories of his time with the Doctor.

“Well, your objective is to retrieve him. He’s currently at Hosu General Hospital. He was just discovered and is being examined. You don’t have much time—this needs to be done immediately. There will be three trucks delivering medical supplies to the hospital. That’s why I recommend sending only three members.”

“If I’d known, I would’ve brought Himiko with us…” Midoriya complained.

“Your date can wait,” Dabi snorted.

“I’m not reacting to your taunts anymore, fire-fighter,” Midoriya shot back.

“So we just sneak in with the trucks, grab the experiment, and drive off? Sounds too good to be true. Why would the heroes leave it unguarded?” Spinner asked.

“It will have protection,” the Doctor admitted, “but nothing Dabi and Redtooth can’t handle.”

“Each of us will get a suit and a truck the afternoon before the heist,” Midoriya concluded. “We’ll regroup once we’re inside. Got it?”

The other two nodded in agreement.

---

For Midoriya, it was easy. He forced open a window and slipped into the house of one of the truck drivers. After killing his family and drinking their blood—the usual—he waited for the man to arrive.

While scrolling through the man’s phone, he found an old article titled: “Redtooth Revealed.”

Curious, he tapped it open. The article claimed that Midoriya Izuku was in fact Redtooth, and theorized that he had faked his death, hidden his quirk, and resurfaced as a villain. It was filled with the usual discrimination against so-called “villainous quirks.”

Finishing the article, Midoriya muttered to himself, “Speaking of villainous quirks… I wonder what ever happened to Shinso.”

Just then, the front door creaked open. A rough-looking man walked in, dropped his suitcase carelessly by the entrance, collapsed onto the sofa—completely oblivious to Midoriya—and shouted:

“Hey, brat! Bring me a beer!”

Midoriya stared at him with disgust. Barely a minute of interaction, and the man was already an asshole. Still, he played along, pretending to be the man’s son, and fetched a beer from the fridge.

Handing it over, Midoriya mocked, “Here’s your beer… with a hint of death.”

“Wha—” the man barely got the word out before a claw pierced through his skull.

“Idiot,” Midoriya muttered. He cracked open the can and took a sip—only to spit it out immediately. “Ugh. Who actually likes this crap?”

He glanced at the corpse and sneered. “Hopefully your blood tastes better than this.”

Thankfully, it did. After drinking his fill, Midoriya grabbed the suitcase and opened it, finding a full-body suit and an ID inside.

“Easy peasy, lemon squeezy,” he said with a grin before leaving.

Chapter Text

Midoriya arrived at the meeting point he had set with Spinner and Dabi, wearing the full bodysuit he had recently stolen. Everything was going according to plan, with three trucks waiting nearby.

"So," Midoriya began, "are you ready to do this?" he asked with a smile.

"Red," Dabi said with a deadpan expression, "this time you really screwed up."

Midoriya’s smile faltered. "Why’s that?" he asked, unable to recall what he had done wrong.

"Your plan has us driving to the hospital in disguise, right?" Dabi asked.

"Yeah..." Midoriya replied.

"And in three different trucks," Dabi added.

"Yeah..." Midoriya repeated.

"But only I know how to drive," Spinner finally said.

"Oh." Midoriya blinked as the realization sank in. "I... I guess I didn’t think of that..."

"So what do we do? We can’t fail Shigaraki!" Spinner exclaimed.

"Uhh... what if we just use one truck?" Midoriya suggested.

"I guess that could work," Dabi admitted.

"It’s our only real option, to be fair," Spinner said.

"Spinner, you’ll drive while Dabi and I ride in the back. Got it?" Midoriya instructed.

"Yes, sir!" Spinner exclaimed.

---

They arrived at the hospital, pulling up to a security stop at the basement entrance.

A security guard sat in the booth, scrolling through his phone with a bored expression.

As the truck approached, the guard slowly stood and walked toward it.

"Hey, Stuart," the guard said. "Here to deliver?"

"Yes," Spinner answered, forcing his voice into a deeper, graver tone.

The guard squinted at him suspiciously. "You sound... different."

Spinner cleared his throat, sweat forming on his face. "I’m a little sick," he lied.

The guard stared at him for a moment, then sighed. "You know what? I don’t get paid enough for this. Just go." He pressed the button, opening access to the hospital basement.

Chapter Text

Midoriya, Spinner, and Dabi entered the basement and parked without any issues. They moved through the building carefully, avoiding everyone thanks to Midoriya’s observation ability.

Eventually, they found what they were looking for: a human-sized tank containing a man. Tubes were connected to his body, and the tank was filled with a strange, murky substance.

Fortunately, the tank was mounted on wheels, which made transporting it much easier.

They began making their way back to the basement without incident—until Midoriya suddenly spoke.

“We’re surrounded.”

“What?!” Dabi snapped, panic creeping into his voice. “Why didn’t you avoid being surrounded? And who’s surrounding us?”

“Some heroes are patrolling the area,” Midoriya explained calmly. “We ended up in the middle of four different patrol routes. It’s only a matter of time before they find us.”

“So… what now?” Spinner asked from behind the tank, still pushing it forward.

Midoriya’s lips curled into a grin. “Let’s toast some heroes.”