Archive of Our Own

All For One, or known by his civilian persona of ‘Shigaraki Hisashi,’ was a proud man. A proud man who, if asked, most certainly didn’t fold nearly instantly under the eyes of a child. Of course, privately he knew he had. He’d scold himself for it later, because right now that fold had presented him with an opportunity.

Apparently, opportunities these days came in the form of children with green hair and freckles and a nearly perfect copy of his own quirk.

Midoriya Izuku, as Hisashi would learn, had All for One. Well, it went by a different name surely, but it was All for One nonetheless. In crowds, all those quirks became overwhelming so he often tuned them all out unless he was on the hunt for something particular. But once he paid attention to the small boy, he could feel All for One in him.

The boy had said something about lights, Hisashi didn’t quite understand, but he could certainly feel the quirk inside him. This was All for One, just slightly different - the boy’s version had a pull to it. Like it could just… beckon other quirks over to it without having to make contact like Hisashi did.

As the boy chattered on about something or other ahead of him, leading the way home, Hisashi felt his lips quirk up in a smirk.

Yes, he certainly had an opportunity on his hands. It would be so simple to-

“Anyways, Stranger-san, what’s your name? I told you mine, so I should know yours too!” The boy smiled, and his freckles bunched in the corners of his eyes. If Hisashi didn’t know better, based on appearance alone, he’d say the boy had some kind of light-related quirk because there was no way children were this… bright.

Were they? Did children regularly give grins that rivaled the sun in their intensity? He’d never paid much attention before.

“Shigaraki Hisashi, child.” He offered gently, because a name was an easy enough thing to wipe from a memory if need be. It could be taken and given at will and it saved him from the boy pestering him about it.

“Hmm, that’s a pretty cool name,” The boy nodded - Izuku, he reminded himself, he couldn’t just view him as another face in the crowd. Not now, because this boy - Izuku - was important. “Do you like heroes, Shigaraki-san?”

“Heroes?” Hisashi barked out a laugh, taken completely off guard by the question. Perhaps he should have been paying more attention to Izuku’s ramblings instead of plotting the best way to… persuade him to his side. “I don’t feel one way or the other about them, child. They are a simple fact of life with the way society is.”

The ‘for now’ was left unspoken. That could be brought up later.

“I guess so. I think they’re cool, though. I want to be one.” The boy said softly, almost as if it were something shameful, like he’d get scolded for saying so. And then Hisashi chastised himself again, thinking about him as just ‘the boy.’

“Oh? And what kind of hero would you be like, little one?” Hisashi asked. He was genuinely curious. He half expected some answer like what most kids his age would spout, about being like All Might.

“I want to be like All Might!” He said with a smile. Ah, Hisashi thought, there it was- “Because All Might makes everyone feel safe, doesn’t he? He always smiles. I’m never scared when I see him smile. I want people to feel safe and not scared when I smile, too.”

The second half of that statement had not been what he expected. It was… suprisingly mature from somebody who couldn’t have even been ten years old. And then he noted Izuku was also very well-spoken, and he wondered what that said about his intelligence.

Smart and with a quirk so like his own? Oh, he’d made quite the discovery.

“I have no doubts in my mind you could be a fantastic hero.” Hisashi conceded, because it was true. It would also certainly make All Might have a stroke, seeing somebody with All for One trying to become a hero. But if he were to find willing trade partners, or have people donate quirks to him (not quite like the ‘donations’ All for One received, of course) then he would make a formidable foe. Perhaps even one to rival him.

But then Izuku started crying again. Why did he cry so much? Did he have another quirk hidden in his core Hisashi couldn’t see? Hisashi picked him up, trying to gently shush him like a parent might. He was never any good at this sort of thing, but his perception quirk wouldn’t cover incessant crying, so he had to try.

“Shh, why are you crying? Are you hurt?” He asked, forcing his voice to be soft.

“N-Nobody ever said I could b-be a hero before!” He sobbed, sniffling and getting his suit wet all over again. “K-Kacchan always says I’m too useless, and momma’s really nice but she says it’s d-dangerous because people might be scared of my quirk, a-and-”

“I understand.” Hisashi gently patted his fluffy, green hair. “People are often scared of me too, sometimes. Your mother is right, but it shouldn’t stop you from doing what you think is the right thing, child. The right thing is often the hardest to do.”

And it was true, but Hisashi pointedly didn’t say his opinion on what he thought the right thing was. No need to scare the child just yet, he could introduce him to his views on hero society later. Not too late, though, hopefully. He wanted to introduce this boy - Izuku, curse his views of everybody else as expendable - to Tomura.

Izuku, despite the tears dripping down his freckle-covered cheeks, smiled like the sun once again. He wiped at his eyes quickly and nodded, seeming to genuinely take Hisashi’s words to heart. “...Thanks, Shigaraki-san.”

When Hisashi stood in front of an apartment door, gently holding Izuku’s hand in his much larger one, he wondered for a moment what kind of woman his mother was. What was her quirk? Did the child get his version of All for One from her? Was she an angry sort of person, a calm person, an upbeat one? He wanted to know if only so he could understand where Izuku had come from and how exactly he may need to manipulate memories to get the boy on his side, if at all. Maybe the woman was terrible and he’d go with him without a second thought. Wouldn’t that be nice?

But he doubted it, judging by how happy he seemed to be when he spoke of his mother. She seemed to have the makings of a decent mother from what he could gather so far. And then, as if on cue, the door swung open to reveal a woman crying and pressing tissues to her face. Hisashi resisted the urge to sigh on principle.

Of course they were both criers. Now he saw where Izuku got it from.

“Oh, Izuku! You scared me, honey! Where have you been?! You were supposed to be at the park, playing with Katsuki!” She wailed, seemingly not even registering Hisashi in the slightest. A mother’s worry knew no bounds, truly. But that was… concerning. The closest park was very far from where the boy had accosted him.

“I’m sorry, momma! I saw a pretty quirk, a-and I just wanted to look at it, and I got distracted following it, I’m really sorry!” The boy said quickly as he was scooped up, squished in a hug. “But Shigaraki-san walked me home! Momma, you’ll never believe it, we have the same quirk!”

“Oh, Izuku, what are you - oh my god!” The woman visibly startled, finally processing the fact that he was standing there. He gave a pleasant smile and nodded in her direction. “Who are you, and what do you think you’re doing with my son!”

He felt a sharp pain where one of his kidneys would be and realized it was being forcibly pulled in her direction. He grunted but otherwise gave no indication of pain, still smiling at her as he adjusted his jacket and tie.

“My apologies if I startled you, Midoriya-san, but your son approached me on the street about my quirk, and then I realized he was alone and I thought the best course of action would be to get him home safely. I thought walking him myself was the best choice.” He explained, and he felt the pressures on his kidney release. He let out a shaky, quiet breath through his nostrils. Damn, that hurt. Not that he’d tell her that.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I thought you were -  well, I always try to tell him about stranger danger, but - Izuku, apologize for bothering the poor man! You know better than to bother strangers about their quirks, honey!” She breathed, taking in his perfectly pressed suit and air of confidence and intimidation. Before Izuku could speak, however, Hisashi laughed.

“Not to worry, young Izuku was fantastic company. As he said, he noted that we have the same quirk, essentially. Fascinating to know there was somebody else like me in the world.” He said coolly. Izuku just bounced up and down on his feet, nodding excitedly.

“Yeah, momma! I wanted to show him my notebooks and talk about my quirk, a-and I wanted to ask him all sorts of questions about it, too!” He said, words coming out nearly all at once, a jumble that the mother clearly had experience parsing through. “Please, momma, please? I promise I’ll mind my manners!”

“I-Izuku, I’m certain we couldn’t impose on his day-”

“Nonsense! It’s no imposition, really!” Hisashi laughed, an easygoing facade to ease the woman’s mind. She seemed like the anxious type. Perhaps that would come with a child bearing All for One. Izuku was also nearly her spitting image aside from the curls and freckles. Hisashi wondered if those were from his non-existent father. “That is, of course, if you are alright with it, Midoriya-san. The last thing I want is to make you uncomfortable.”

Of course he couldn’t give two cares whether the woman was comfortable, but this was easier than going through the ruckus of memory-altering unless he had to.

“W-Well, if you are alright with it, I suppose I could put on some tea as thanks for bringing him home… Just… be sure not to bother him too much, alright, Izuku?” She said softly, the fear evident in her eyes. It was clear she could tell he wasn’t the run-of-the-mill salaryman he seemed to be. Ah, a mother’s instincts. Truly impressive.

“Yes, momma, I promise! Come inside, Shigaraki-san, I’ll show you my notebooks!” The boy pulled him inside forcefully, or as forcefully as a child his size could, anyway. He was led to a small couch and promptly left there. “I’ll be right back!”

It was quiet, then, as the mother padded around the kitchen to put tea on to boil. Once it was heating, she came into the living room with a pained expression on her face. She looked genuinely bothered by something and it didn’t seem to be about him.

“Do you really have a quirk like his?” She asked gently. “And I’d like you to be honest, please. My son… he’s had a difficult time because of his quirk. I don’t want him to get his hopes up, you know, that he could… not be alone.”

“Ah.” He said, because that was a sentiment he understood perfectly. “I am telling the truth. I have the ability to give and take quirks just as he does. I can also sense their cores as he does. His is slightly different, as he seems to have the ability to pull quirks to him, whereas I have to make physical contact with a person, but yes. Essentially the same quirk.”

“Oh thank god.” The woman gave a dry sob as she dropped into a well-worn armchair. “You - You’re not - You’re just a businessman, right?”

Hisashi resisted the urge to snort. She was asking if he was a villain. Yes, he most certainly was, but not in this persona. That was a loaded question - why would any villain answer that honestly, anyway?

“Yes,” He lied like second nature, “Just a salaryman. Nothing special. Why do you ask? Is there something bothering you?”

“No, I’m just… I thought my son would have to navigate life without ever knowing how to manage his quirk. How to do anything except never use it. I know we’ve just met, ah, Shigaraki-san, was it?” She paused.

“Shigaraki Hisashi, yes.”

“Midoriya Inko. As I was saying, I know we’ve just met, but… could I impose on you? Please, if you could… would you be willing to teach my son how to use his quirk? It gives him such trouble. I want him to be able to hide it without worry. I mean, he’d be hated for his quirk, wouldn’t he? There’s nobody else I’ve ever met with a quirk like yours and his.” She said, putting her head in her hands. And that was certainly true. He’d never come across another version of All for One before now, either.

But, he realized, this was perfect. The most painless, easy way to sway the boy to his side. He could start with lessons, perfectly innocuous, something easy to help him ingratiate himself into the Midoriya family. And then later, perhaps he could start talking about hero society, quirk theory, and everything in-between.

“I know how hard it must have been to ask that, to ask a stranger for something so important.” He nodded solemnly, though inside he was laughing and he suppressed the urge to grin. “I have a son, a few years older than him, as a matter of fact. I know I’d have trouble asking for help from a stranger.”

“Oh,” the woman’s expression visibly relaxed at the mention of a child, “You have a son, too? Then you understand. Yes.”

“And that is why I would be happy to help, Midoriya-san. Here, please, take my business card. I’m only free on Sundays for now, but I’m sure I could work something else into my schedule.” He said. Of course, realistically, he could make time whenever he wanted - but this sounded more realistic for a salaryman. He pulled a business card from his wallet, a plain thing, reading ‘Shigaraki Hisashi - Business Analyst’ with the name of one of his many legal corporations printed on it. He needed a good cover, after all.

“Thank you so much, Shigaraki-san, thank you so much.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Midoriya-san. And please, call me Hisashi.”

Izuku bounced up and down. Today was his first lesson with Mr. Hisashi! He would get to talk about quirks and all sorts of things! He was so excited! Even when Kacchan called him a nerd and asked what ‘somebody useless’ had to be so excited about, his smile didn’t dim. He just said he had tutoring and he was excited to go to the lesson.

He was glad when Kacchan only huffed and said ‘only a nerd would be excited for tutoring.’ It was easier than - what was the word he’d read about? - blatant lying, after all.

So now, here he was, waiting excitedly on his couch for the man to arrive. His mom had made sure he understood all of their lessons would stay right here at home, something about safety. He didn’t understand a lot of the big words she used, maybe he’d ask her about them another time when she wasn’t so worried about things.

And then a knock came from the door!

Izuku jumped out of his seat, yelled ‘I’ll get it!’ back to his mom, and made a mad dash for the door. He unlocked it and opened it to see none other than Mr. Hisashi! He grinned widely and opened the door all the way, waving the man inside. Gosh, he was really tall! And his suit, it seemed really nice. A little different from the other salarymen he saw walking around Musutafu sometimes. And then there were his quirks…

The quirks inside Mr. Hisashi shined so brightly, so many circling around his core. Compacted like that, the man practically looked like the sun when Izuku looked at his core quirk. It was kind of scary, seeing just how many quirks the man really had. But Mr. Hisashi was really nice, so even if all those quirks were scary, he wasn’t scary himself!

“Hi again, Mr. Hisashi! Come in, come in!” Izuku ushered him in. Mr. Hisashi followed, a smile on his face and a briefcase in hand. He’d called ahead to his mom and said he’d be a little late due to an impromptu meeting, but Izuku didn’t mind. He was just happy to learn something new about his quirk!

“Aren’t you excited today, little one?” The man laughed a little, setting his briefcase by the couch as he took a seat. Izuku’s mom brought out tea and a couple of snacks, sitting anxiously in the same armchair she had on their first meeting.

“I’m super excited, Mr. Hisashi! I want to learn so much stuff!” Izuku bounced up and down on the couch, rooted to his spot across from the man. He stared up at him, studying the expression on his face. He had a strong nose and whitish-grey hair, but he still seemed young despite his hair color.

“Well, I’ll do my best to teach you. Let’s see… What do you know about your quirk so far?” He asked in a curious tone. Izuku hummed thoughtfully.

“Um… I can take quirks? And I think I can give them back, too… I took momma’s once on a- ac-” his mouth twisted up as he tried to pronounce the word.

“Accident?” Hisashi supplied, and Izuku nodded.

“Yeah, accident! But I gave it back. I don’t remember how… I just know it looked really shiny and then I pulled my dinner plate off the table.” He said, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. His mom hadn’t scolded him, though, and even Mr. Hisashi seemed more amused by the story than anything else.

“I see. Do you know anything else?” He asked, and Izuku thought about it for a second more. What else did he know?

“Umm…” his whole face scrunched this time, in deep thought. “Oh! I can see quirks! Like shiny stars! But you have so many, like the sun!”

“You can see them?” Hisashi’s expression seemed genuinely surprised for just a moment before he collected his expression into something more normal. “How so?”

“Like stars, I said, Mr. Hisashi!” Izuku laughed. “They’re like little stars in your heart. Momma’s is a pretty green color. Yours is… hmm… I can’t tell what yours is ‘cause you have so many. It’s a big ball of quirks.”

“I see!” Hisashi smiled. “I have something similar. I can feel the quirks, but I can’t see them, sadly. Yours must be something special. Why don’t we practice that for today? Learning how to tell what a quirk is without taking it?”

“Oh! You know what a quirk is without taking it, Mr. Hisashi?!” Izuku gasped. He hadn’t been able to really sense anything about his mother’s quirk until it was solidly circling his own core, so being able to tell one quirk from another at a distance would be really cool! That way he wouldn’t have to annoy anybody with his questions about their quirks!

“Your questions aren’t annoying at all, little one.” Mr. Hisashi’s voice was calm, but Izuku made an ‘eep’ as he realized he’d been speaking out loud. “And, to answer your question, yes, I can tell what a quirk is without taking it. Now, why don’t you try telling me what you think this quirk is…?”

Hisashi hummed to himself as he collected his things. Tomura’s progress was coming along well, and so was Izuku’s. It had been months since he’d started tutoring the boy, and his mother had even allowed them to have a lesson outside of the Midoriya apartment for once. He was going to work with Izuku in the park, to test the distance from which he could pull quirks. He’d been doing well in his practices, so he figured it was time for him to branch out.

And besides, he mused, it might even be a good time to talk about his views on heroics and heroes. A simple nudge of thought in the other direction to start with, nothing too over-the-top. He straightened his tie and smirked. Yes, his plan to sway the boy was going well. He couldn’t rush it, after all, not if he wanted somebody truly loyal.

“Sensei?” A voice cut him from his thoughts, and he saw Tomura looking up at him curiously. He even paused his game to look at him, something he hadn’t seen the boy do unless he was intensely curious. “Where are you going?”

“To meet with somebody important,” He said easily. Tomura frowned, just barely, and then he continued his game without another word. Hisashi looked at him with narrowed, thoughtful eyes. Maybe this would be a good time…?  Tomura was 13 now, and he was more mature than he had been before, if only a little.“Would you like to go with me?”

“Can I?” Tomura immediately shut his portable game, eyes wide. Hisashi had never offered to bring him to any of his meetings before!

“Yes, but I should explain some things first before you go. Listen carefully, alright, Tomura?” He said seriously. Tomura straightened up and nodded fervently. Ah, he was such a good child, listening. But he would branch out from his side one day, become his own person, a protege in the making. His plans for Izuku were a little different.

“Of course, sensei.”

“You see, I’m meeting with a boy a little younger than yourself. I’ve been teaching him how to use his quirk, like I helped you.” He gestured to Tomura’s hands. The boy scowled at that, probably jealous if he had to fathom a guess. “He has a quirk like mine. I was thinking he would make a fine addition to our cause. But he likes heroes, so I was hoping you could help him understand why heroes are bad.”

Tomura instantly brightened at the prospect of making his sensei proud. “Of course, sensei! I didn’t know there were other people with quirks like yours. I’ll make sure he joins us.” And then he was quiet for a moment, “... is he going to be your new successor?”

“No, no, Tomura, not at all.” Hisashi smiled easily. “You’re always going to be my successor. I had thought about making him your partner instead. Both of you working together. Wouldn’t you like somebody to be with you all the time, Tomura? A friend?”

“A… friend?” Tomura breathed, his eyes wide. “Of course, sensei! Can I really…?”

“Of course, Tomura. But this is important, you see. To him, right now, I am just a businessman - not a villain. And you’re my son, not my successor. Understand? We will introduce him to the villain side of things later, when he’s ready.” Hisashi stressed. Tomura seemed to think about it for a moment.

“I can do that, sensei.” He smiled.

Hisashi smiled and waved, the picture of a good father as he walked Tomura up with him. Izuku, bless his heart, looked even more excited to meet somebody new. He was as excitable as ever, and he wondered how Tomura would react to his sort of personality.

“Hi, Mr. Hisashi! Who’s this? Is this somebody who’s gonna help me learn?!” He bounced on the balls of his feet, grinning widely. His mother ran over, fretting over him as always, telling him not to bother strangers.

“It’s alright, it’s alright.” Hisashi eased, his practiced smile never leaving for a second. “This is my son, Tomura. He was curious where I was going, so I offered to let him join us. Why don’t you introduce yourself, Tomura?”

“...Hi.” Tomura finally said, closing the lid of his game. “I’m Shigaraki Tomura.”

“Hi, Shigaraki-kun!” Izuku stuck a hand out for him to shake, although Tomura looked at it like it might bite him as he shook it back, pinky raised. “Your quirk is really pretty! I like it!”

“Excuse me?” Tomura practically snarled at that, yanking his hand back. Izuku looked surprised, but continued on as if unaware of the anger in the other boy’s voice.

“Yeah! It’s really red and strong, and yours sits right here in your heart!” Izuku pointed to where his heart would be. Then Izuku seemed to take note of something, his expression falling. “It’s kind of dim, though. I’m sorry if your quirk hurt you, Shigaraki-kun.”

“Izuku, what did we talk about in our first lesson?” Hisashi interrupted, before Tomura could lose his temper. He could tell the blue-haired boy wanted to snap after hearing something about his quirk. Izuku startled, and then looked ashamed.

“Not to talk about people’s quirks without permission… I’m sorry, Mr. Hisashi, Shigaraki-kun… I didn’t mean to upset you…” He gave a little bow. Tomura seemed to huff but at least relax after that.

“It’s fine.” Tomura grumbled. “What are you talking about, anyways?”

“Izuku here can see quirks as lights. I feel them, he sees them. So he can see your quirk, though he’s supposed to know better than to ask personal questions. Quirks can be sensitive things, yes?” Hisashi raised an eyebrow at the boy.

“Yes, Mr. Hisashi. I’m really sorry, honest, I just got excited because Shigaraki-kun’s quirk is really pretty! I’ve never seen one that’s red before.” He said with a smile. That seemed to get Tomura’s attention.

“You really… think it’s pretty?” He asked, looking down at his hands. Izuku nodded quickly, that sunshine-like smile on his face.

“Of course! I really like your quirk, honest.” He said. Tomura seemed… almost embarrassed, somehow. Hisashi smiled, a genuine one this time. Oh, this would be perfect. The two of them were already getting along. That would make things much easier.

“... thanks.” Tomura whispered, and then immediately turned his game back on and pressed into Hisashi’s side so he wouldn’t have to face Izuku. Well, Hisashi was glad to know Izuku’s practically beaming smile worked on more than just him, at least.

“So, what are we gonna learn today, Mr. Hisashi?” He asked with a wide-eyed expression. Hisashi smiled and patted his head.

“Today, we’re going to try the unique aspect of your quirk, little one. I’ll have you pull a quirk from me from a distance. That’s why we’re here in the park today, so we can see just how far away you can pull a quirk from. And if you do well in today’s lesson, I’ll give you a special quirk for you to keep, so you can practice holding more than one, okay?” He explained. Izuku looked excited, to say the least.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Izuku bounced up and down again, always an endless ray of energy. Of course, Hisashi would give him a quirk anyways, but it was good to motivate him. All Might had been dangerously close to his operation these days, so he wanted to give Izuku a quirk in case of emergency. He’d gotten his hands on a very powerful healing quirk, but he couldn’t use it on himself, so he would give it to Izuku instead.

“Alright, Izuku, you go and stand over there, alright? We’ll start small. Just a hair color quirk to start with.” Hisashi said. Maybe this would be a good opportunity to start teaching him about heroics… He gave him a careful look. “Do you think somebody with a hair color quirk could be a hero, little one?”

“Of course!” Izuku gasped as if he were offended. “All quirks are really cool, of course they could be a hero!”

“Well, sadly, the heroes don’t think so.” Hisashi said with a ‘tsk,’ as if he were disappointed. He knew this already, of course, but he needed to make it easy enough for a child to understand. “The heroes seem to like quirks that can attack. Like your friend you mentioned, Kacchan, was it? That’s why everybody tells him he’s better than you. Isn’t that sad? I wish heroes were kinder…”

“H-Huh?” Izuku blinked. “Is that really true, Mr. Hisashi? The heroes don’t think somebody with a hair color quirk could be a hero…?”

“Mm, sadly not, Izuku.” Hisashi sighed and shook his head. “They’d say the same about a quirkless person, or like our quirks, calling them ‘villainous’ and scary. Heroes aren’t always as nice as they seem on T.V.”

“How… how do you know, Mr. Hisashi?” Izuku asked softly, almost skeptically.

“Well… you see, I’ve met a few before. There’s a lot in Musutafu, after all.” He explained. And then, with a sad and soft expression, he put a hand on Tomura’s head. “They didn’t even rescue my poor son here when he was in trouble.”

“They didn’t?!” Izuku looked like he was about to cry, and Tomura seemed to realize what was going on as it unfolded. He nodded like Hisashi did.

“My s-” he stopped himself from saying ‘sensei,’ “My dad saved me. I’m adopted. Because heroes are tr… not nice. They never came to help me when I was in trouble, so my dad helped me instead. I was really young.”

“Oh my gosh…” Izuku sniffled and wiped at his eyes. “That’s so mean! I can’t believe a hero never came to rescue you, Shigaraki-kun! If I was a hero, I promise I would rescue you! I’d rescue everyone!”

“Well,” Hisashi interrupted, “Why don’t we talk about this another time, boys? It’s a sad topic, isn’t it? Let’s just practice your quirk for now, Izuku.”

“I’m sorry, little one, I’m afraid I’ll have to miss your tutoring for today.” Hisashi rasped. Everything hurt and it was hard to breathe, even after the Doctor’s intervention to keep him alive. Damn that hero, All Might. Caving in the top of his head... “I’m afraid I’ve been a little hurt, child.”

“Oh, no! Are you gonna be okay, Mr. Hisashi?” Izuku’s voice over the phone sounded so worried, so innocent. “Maybe I can use that quirk you gave me! The healing one!”

Ah, Hisashi had honestly forgotten he gave that to the boy. What was it again? Something to heal injuries that had happened within the last week or two? Did it regrow organs as well? He’d only been this way for just under a week. Perhaps that backup plan he’d set in place a while back would come in handy. He smiled as much as he could manage. “Would you be willing, little one? I can have a friend of mine come to get you, since I’m bedridden for now. Would your mother be alright with that?”

He heard shuffling and quiet talking on the line before Izuku returned. “Momma says she’s okay with that, but she wants you to come with me when I’m done so she can see that you’re alright! She’s worried about you too, Mr. Hisashi!”

“That’s fine, that’s fine. He has a warp quirk, perhaps you can study it some time. He should be there soon.” He messaged Kurogiri the address of the boy and his instructions. Izuku seemed excited. And then, a few moments later, Izuku walked through the portal he knew as Kurogiri’s warp, and the boy gasped and dropped his phone. He practically sprinted to Hisashi’s bedside.

“Mr. Hisashi!” He sounded like he was in tears, not that Hisashi could really tell with his eyes missing. It was only a few quirks that allowed him to sense the world around him as he did. “What happened, Mr. Hisashi?!”

“A hero hurt me.” He said gently. This would be one of the biggest pushes yet. “You see, I did a bad thing a long time ago. And this hero, he was very mad at me for it. So he did this to me as punishment.”

“B-But that’s too much!” Izuku was definitely crying. “And you’re not bad any more, Mr. Hisashi, you’re so nice to me!”

“I know, little one, I know. But heroes don’t care if it was a long time ago or not, or if they go too far. So this was the result. Terrible, isn’t it? Heroes can be awful sometimes. And you know, the bad thing I did, I only did it because somebody took something that belonged to my brother, so I was trying to get it back.” He explained. Izuku seemed to break down crying fully at that, holding Hisashi’s hand.

“That hero was so mean! You were just trying to get back your brother’s stuff!” He cried. Then he sniffled and wiped his tears. “W-Well, I’ll do my best to help you from that awful hero, Mr. Hisashi! I’ll try my hardest to use the quirk you gave me!”

“Alright, little one. Just gently put your hands on my head and let the quirk do its work, okay? If you need to take a break, please do, I don’t want you getting hurt.” He said easily. Izuku nodded and placed his small hands where the scarred, warped part of Hisashi’s head was. He pulled the quirk from his core and began to use it, and Hisashi could feel it begin to work. Izuku’s hands were covered in a soft, blue light.

The scar tissue began to rework itself, and it burned. It was easily more painful than the injury itself had been, but he was careful not to make a sound so he wouldn’t freak out Izuku. After what seemed like an eternity, he could feel his senses return to him, and he… he blinked. He blinked! He had eyes! His vision was terrible, he could really only see colors and lights, but that wasn’t an issue. He could have Doctor Garaki fix that easily.

“How wonderful, Izuku!” Hisashi laughed, scooping him up when he was finished. But the boy had fallen asleep quickly in his arms, likely exhausted from fixing that much in one sitting. Hisashi beckoned Kurogiri back in the room.

“Sir? Did the boy… do this?” He asked, incredulously. Hisashi grinned with manic pride, and he nodded.

“That he did, Kurogiri. He will be a great asset to us one day.”

“Izuku, I’m so sorry!” His mother’s voice called over the phone. “I had to cover an extra shift at work, so Mr. Hisashi’s son, Tomura, he’s going to come and watch you tonight! Make sure you behave for him, alright?”

“Okay, mom.” Izuku’s voice was hoarse, but she didn’t seem to notice. “I’ll see you when you get home. I love you.”

“I love you too, honey, I’ve got to go now, okay? Be good!” Click. His mother hung up the phone. Izuku stared down at his arms, burned and blistered. His eye was bruised and his throat hurt. He wanted to just lie down forever. But instead, there was a knock at the door.

“Open up, dork, your mom called.” It was Tomura’s scratchy voice. Izuku hopped up to answer, and when the door swung open, the blue-haired boy scowled deeply. He had a backpack on and he was taller, more lanky than Izuku remembered. It had been a month or two since they’d last seen each other, he must’ve hit a growth spurt, he thought. His mom always said he’d get his soon.

He was 11 now, and Tomura was 15. Izuku had been training with Mr. Hisashi for years at this point, talking about all sorts of things. Sometimes, he even tutored Izuku in things other than quirks, like ‘hero and quirk ethics’ or even just helped with his homework. Tomura visited often, too, and the two of them seemed to get along. But things were hard for him lately. Kacchan had gotten really mean the last year or so.

“What happened?” Tomura asked, no room for not answering. He marched inside and found the first aid kit. Tomura had been over before, so he knew where it was. He sat Izuku down on the couch. “Start talking, dork, or I’m telling my dad.”

“I-I…” Izuku’s hands shook when Tomura held them, looking at the reddened fingers and arms. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes. And then, in the smallest voice, he finally whispered, “I made Kacchan mad again.”

“Again?” Tomura’s eyebrows rose. “This happened before?”

The older boy gently and carefully applied burn cream to the area, making sure to soothe the burns as much as he could and was careful to maneuver around the blisters. Izuku could only nod quietly, watching as Tomura gingerly, carefully bandaged his hands and arms for him. Then he got up and got an ice pack, and handed it to Izuku to put on his black eye. The ice felt nice on his terribly sore skin.

“Who is ‘Kacchan’? I’ll decay him for hurting my friend.” Tomura scowled, scratching at his neck. Izuku gave a wobbly smile, tears finally falling as he hugged Tomura tightly. The older boy seemed surprised, but then relaxed, gently patting Izuku’s back.

“I know you would, Tomura.” Izuku said softly. They’d started calling each other by first names, recently. Tomura insisted from day one that they were friends because his dad said they could be. Izuku had laughed the first time he mentioned it, happy beyond measure. Now, Tomura was the only other person besides his mother and Mr. Hisashi who was nice to him any more. His teachers and classmates certainly weren’t.

“So? Who’s ‘Kacchan?’” Tomura pressed again, red eyes simmering in anger.

“Just… somebody from school.” Izuku fibbed. He couldn’t bring himself to say they were once childhood friends. He wanted them to still be friends. Kacchan used to be who he looked up to, powerful and strong, confident and self-assured. But now he just seemed angry and mean all the time. He reminded Izuku of what Mr. Hisashi said heroes were really like. Were all heroes secretly like Kacchan? He didn’t think All Might was, but…

Then there was the hero that had hurt Mr. Hisashi before. Kacchan hurt people. Heroes hurt people. Kacchan wanted to be a hero, so maybe it made sense. He frowned and he didn’t want to think about that any more. Heroes were supposed to be good, but they weren’t… were they? They just hurt people.

“He thinks I’m quirkless.” Izuku finally said, clutching the ice pack a little tighter. “Because I have to hide my quirk. Everyone calls me useless. Even if I was quirkless… would I be useless, Tomura?”

“No, Izuku.” Tomura patted his head like Mr. Hisashi did sometimes. “You’re my friend so of course you’re not useless. You’re like… player two. I’m player one, of course. But quirks are stupid anyways. All they do is make people mean and they’re only used to hurt other people. But I’ll forget about that for now. I brought some video games for us to play together today.”

“Can we play Pokémon, Tomura?” Izuku asked softly.

“Of course we can.”

“Mr. Hisashi?” Izuku’s tone was soft. They were at the park again, just the two of them today. Hisashi looked down at him, a curious expression on his face. Izuku sounded so… sad. Why did he sound like that?

“What is it, little one?” Hisashi asked. They had been making incredible progress. What was there to be sad about? Tomura seemed upset about something to do with Izuku a few weeks ago; did it have to do with that? 

“... Are you a villain?”

Hisashi just barely kept himself from recoiling. What in the world…? Where had this question come from? It was almost a complete blindside, as Hisashi thought he’d kept his image of ‘Shigaraki Hisashi, business analyst’ up perfectly. If he had to wipe the boy’s memory now, after they’d made such progress, it would be a major setback.

“Why do you ask, Izuku? What gave you that idea?” He asked carefully. Izuku seemed to pick at the grass they were sitting on, silent for several moments.

“You have a quirk that belonged to a hero. That hero said he lost his quirk in a villain attack.” He said. “But… heroes can be mean. Were they a mean hero like the one that hurt you, Mr. Hisashi? Did you take it because you were scared, or…?”

Ah. He hadn’t realized Izuku had learned to identify individual quirks in Hisashi’s core. He’d always said his core was too compacted with too many quirks for him to pick a single one out unless he was using it. But if he could… then…

“Would you be scared if I was a villain?” Hisashi asked, a raised eyebrow. Something about the conversation struck him as meaningful, aside from the obvious. Maybe the boy was having second thoughts about what it meant to be a hero and a villain. In that case, this conversation could be an important stepping stone in the progress to get him on his side.

“...No. I couldn’t be scared of you, Mr. Hisashi.” Izuku admitted. Hisashi smiled. This was a good step indeed.

“Then I will tell you the truth. Yes. I am a villain.” Hisashi said gently. Izuku looked up at him with tears in his eyes.

“Why are the villains nicer than the heroes, Mr. Hisashi?” He asked, sniffling. Inwardly, Hisashi was celebrating. This was his turning point. He would need a final push to put him squarely on his side, but this was perfect. All of his work was turning up as it should. Tomura would be pleased, and there would be a second All for One on his playing field.

“Let me tell you a quote, little one. ‘History is decided by the victors.’ This means that when society or the world has a big war, often the winners are the ones whose stories get told. Think about the quirkless and the first quirk wars. We just talked about them a while ago, didn’t we?” He asked, and Izuku nodded.

“What about the quirk wars?” Izuku asked back.

“Well, think of it this way. After the quirk wars, the heroes - the ones with powerful quirks - were the winners. The quirkless quickly got pushed aside in favor of the era of heroes. Nobody bothered to ask if the heroes actually deserved to be the winners, or if they were good people.” Hisashi explained. Izuku seemed to understand what he was getting at, and his eyes went impossibly wide.

“So just because the heroes were the winners… doesn’t mean they were the good guys.” Izuku said, almost breathless. Hisashi nodded.

“That’s correct, little one. And if the original heroes weren’t the good guys… who do you think was teaching the future heroes? That’s why the heroes today aren’t very good people, either. Does that make sense?” He asked. Izuku nodded. “And then you have villains who do bad things for good reasons. If a father steals food just so he can make sure his kids eat, does that make him a bad person?”

“... No!” Izuku said, his fists clenching. Hisashi was resisting the urge to grin. He was finally, finally beginning to understand. “Just - Just like you, trying to take what belonged to your brother, and that hero hurt you because of it!”

“Exactly like that, Izuku. You’re so smart.” He patted the boy’s head. “So yes, I am a villain. But you can decide for yourself if I’m a bad person. My goal, you see, is to make a society where heroes don’t exist any more. Like how it was before quirks came to be. People can govern themselves, they can save themselves, and heroes are no longer a job but a title.”

“No more heroes…?” Izuku trailed off, deep in thought.

“You shouldn’t worry yourself about me, though, little one. It’s a goal I’ve been working on for a very long time, I doubt it will come into play any time soon. Tomura is going to be my successor, you see. He wants to tear heroes down as well.” Hisashi explained easily. “But enough about that. We have lessons, don’t we?”

“Hm… yeah.” Izuku nodded, but he seemed to still be deep in thought. Good, Hisashi thought, he needed to come to his own decisions naturally. It would be more effective that way and he’d stay loyal. If he manipulated thoughts or memories, Izuku may find out one day and become angry or bitter. 

It would definitely be better this way.

Izuku looked down at his ruined notebook with tears in his eyes. All the notes on quirks, heroes, his own quirk, quirks Mr. Hisashi had… they were all burnt to a crisp, and the only notes that weren’t, the ink ran and the pages were soggy. But that wasn’t even the worst part. Kacchan had said something horrible.

If you want to be a hero so badly, take a swan dive off the roof and pray for a quirk in your next life. And then he laughed. Kacchan had laughed.

It hurt more than he thought it would. Mr. Hisashi was right. All the heroes (and thus, future heroes) cared about were quirks and how strong somebody was. It hurt to realize. If they even thought somebody was weaker, villainous, or god forbid quirkless, you were nothing to them. It was a horrid thought.

Even his mom… his mom was scared of his quirk, wasn’t she? That’s why she wanted him to keep it hidden. Even originally, that’s why she wanted Mr. Hisashi to give him lessons: so he could keep it hidden better. When he asked if he could be a hero… she’d just cried and said she was sorry. She treated him like glass.

He scowled as he shook off the notebook and used a minor fixing quirk Mr. Hisashi had given him last week. He could use it to change inanimate objects back to the state they were in ten minutes ago. Good for his notes and burned school uniforms, not much else.

And then as he walked home, he was nearly suffocated to death. A real villain had tried to kill him, take over his body. It had hurt so much. He thought to himself, well, it isn’t a swan dive, but… and then he fought back, because he remembered how mad Tomura would be if he didn’t have his best friend to play games with any more. 

He couldn’t let Kacchan ruin everything.

And then he showed up. The Number One Hero. All Might himself. The only hero Izuku still had any belief in. The last remaining shred of faith he had in the hero system, that there was still something there to be salvaged.

He’d punched so hard it splattered the villain against the wall, and… slapped Izuku awake? Didn’t he need to be seen by a paramedic or something after a villain attack? Wasn’t that standard procedure? But he needed - needed - to know. He had to ask. So Izuku held onto his leg as the man jumped. Yeah, it was stupid, but All Might telling him to let go?! Seriously?! That was more stupid! He couldn’t let go now! He’d die if he let go now!

And then the man coughed up blood on a roof and turned into a shell of his former self. He explained his injury and where it had come from. A secret fight… from five years ago. That’s when… that’s when Mr. Hisashi had gotten his injury too, wasn’t it? And nobody had ever televised the fight that Mr. Hisashi had been in, either.

Was All Might the one who…?

“So that’s why I have to say that without a quirk, no, I’m sorry, but you can’t be a hero. It’s nice to have dreams, but you also have to consider what’s realistic.”

Hisashi hummed thoughtfully to himself. A good deal had gone through for one of his legal companies, his underground acquisitions were rising as well, and Tomura was becoming more independent. Everything was going well. He was actually thinking about taking another day off, like the one he’d had those years ago when he met Izuku.

And then his phone rang.

“Hello? Izuku, how are you?” He answered, seeing the boy’s caller ID on the screen. But then he heard nothing on the other end except rushing wind. As if the boy was up somewhere high. And then after a moment or two more of silence, he heard crying.

“... Mr. Hisashi?” Izuku asked, finally, his voice hiccuping.

“What is it, little one?” He asked softly. What had happened to make him cry this time? Was it that ‘Kacchan’ boy Tomura mentioned? If his student had another person’s hand laid on him again, he was going to give Tomura permission to decay his entire school.

“Was… was All Might the one who hurt you five years ago?” His voice cracked and he broke down crying in full. Hisashi’s eyebrows furrowed. How did he…? The wind whipped harder, drowning out his cries.

“Yes, he was, little one. What happened? Where are you?” He asked. “Do you need Kurogiri to come and pick you up? You know you can always send him your coordinates and he will bring you to me.”

“Mm.” Izuku mumbled, sniffling and crying. “I can’t be a hero, can I, Mr. Hisashi? The heroes really wouldn’t… they wouldn’t want me.”

“Izuku. Tell me where you are.” Hisashi said firmly, no room for arguments.

“... On the roof of the Mitsutake Offices. All Might left me here. I… can’t get down.” He admitted, crying even harder again. Hisashi immediately texted Kurogiri to go and get him. “... Mr. Hisashi?”

“What is it?” He said softly. Izuku would be here soon.

“Can I… help you and Tomura get rid of the heroes, too?”

Hisashi grinned. This was the push he needed.

“Of course you can, little one.”