Midoriya had learnt, at the youngest age possible, that foresight was 20/20. Whenever his father spoke to him, he obediently responded, and marched in line to the beat of the drum, not wondering if there was a better response until after everything was said and done.

Watching his companion stagger backward, a look of surprise mixed with concern etched onto the man's face, Midoriya immediately began panicking, wondering how he could've missed the drawn gun. His focus had been shoddy since swinging the pipe, which he attributed more to shock than anything else. And while the gun wasn't exactly equip with a flag, there wasn't much of a reason that he should have missed it. If that was the defining moment of everything... Midoriya would only feel the guilt sink deeper.

Once the gun discharged - without a sound - and the man was still standing, with only a small trail of blood sneaking from the wound, Midoriya slowly rescinded his hand, his fear morphing into unbridled curiosity. His large ally, recovering from the shock of the situation, growled lowly and lunged forward, drilling both men in the face with his brass fists, effectively knocking them unconscious as their heads struck the pavement with a gun-wrenching crack.

He snorted, rubbing his knuckles and removing the equipment, stuffing the two brass knuckles into his pocket. Displeasure emitted from his features, and his glare spoke volumes that words probably wouldn't reach. "Hmph. Shoot me again, assholes…"

It might have been the moment, mixed with everything that had happened, but with the threat (temporarily) neutralized, Midoriya felt the adrenaline fade from his veins, a wave of fatigue washing over him, causing him to stumble backward until his backward hit the brick wall. While he was tempted to lean against it for faux-comfort, his legs had other ideas as they all but gave out on him, allowing him to slide down the wall roughly until he landed in a mock-sitting position. Shakily, he tore off the mask he wore, gripping and wringing it in his hands as he replayed everything that happened. His breathing became tachypneic, and his eyes fixated on his trembling hands.

'Wh-what is going on…?'

"Hey, you still with me kid?" Faintly, Midoriya recognized his ally's voice, but struggled to composed any reassuring words. He wanted to say he was okay - even though he wasn't. He wanted to say he was just catching his breath - but he wasn't.

In truth, he wasn't okay. He was scared. Confused. He needed some sort of answer as to why he'd just essentially fought for his life. He'd never seen those men before - he'd never done anything to them. Out of the blue, they'd essentially marked him as a target, and attempted to kill him!

Slowly, he managed to drag his eyes toward the man that had fought along with him, and licked his dry lips, before uttering out a single sentence. He gestured to the two unconscious men. "W-who are they…?"

The man sighed, taking a seat next to Midoriya, pulling his own mask off. He rubbed at his eyes, massaging the bridge of his nose, as his face contorted into mild aggravation. He muttered something lowly under his breath, glancing at the bodies with disdain - as if a whole plan had been swiftly, but chaotically, destroyed. "I was trying to keep you in the dark. It's safer there."

"S-safer…?" Midoriya echoed. "I-I don't think… I'm s-safe at all!"

"You're not -but that's a different matter." While Midoriya gaped at the response - or lack thereof - the broad man subtly kicked at one of the men's legs, scowling at the masked assailant. "I'm probably not the right guy for this," he grumbled.

"T-there's more of… 'you'?" Midoriya looked at the man, trying to figure out who or what this man was. He'd never seen him - at least, never on any online forums. With a face adorned with a scar, and massive frame, there was no doubt that Midoriya would recall the name of the man, should he ever have seen him.

Then, there was the peculiars of his quirk. Strength-enhancement were common, but usually had some sort of tiny difference, such as muscle-augmentation versus storage of potential energy to maximize kinetic output. From what Midoriya had observed… there were no differences in this man's fighting style from just regular street-brawling. Plus there was the matters of his rather… brute-ish equipment. Brass knuckles, designed in the way they were, that enhanced the already high damage output… it seemed rather unnecessary for a hero.

"Yeah, I guess so. Not really… an 'us', but I guess our goals align, so we work together." The man pulled out a cigar from his coat pocket, and lit the end, drawing a long breath in as he closed his eyes in contentment. "Whatever goals those might be," he added as an afterthought.

"Who are you?" Midoriya rephrased.

"Knuckleduster - that's the name I've taken up, anyways. My actual name is going to take some convincing if you want that." With an exhale, smoke hung in the air, causing Midoriya to cough into his fist. He smirked. "What about you?"

"W-what...?" Midoriya was confused; Knuckleduster clearly knew him, so what could he possibly have meant?

"C'mon, kid. Just 'cause I know who you are, doesn't mean I know you. It's more polite to introduce yourself, understand?"

Slowly, Midoriya nodded. Why not, he figured. Nothing else was making a lick of sense, so why not abide by the strange man's request. It was harmless enough, even if the logic seemed a bit skewered. "I-I'm Izuku Midoriya." He paused. "I don't have a c-codename."

Knuckleduster hummed quietly, taking another long draw from his cigar. "That sucks; you should probably come up with one. Heroes need that sort of thing."

"I'm not a hero," Midoriya said softly, staring down toward his lap. His chest ached as he spoke, the cruel reality settling over him like a rogue wave, trying its hardest to pull him under. He recalled the blooming sensation he'd felt when he successfully rescued Eri, but despite his reaching, the feeling stayed just out of reach, as if taunting him internally. He sighed, settling for the truth of which he felt. "I'm just… a k-kid."

"A kid who happened to save a girl in danger," Knuckleduster said idly, releasing another puff of smoke. Midoriya froze, slowly craning his head to look at the man beside him. A bubble of surprise, mixed with murky concern, blossomed in his chest - how did this man know about Eri?

Knuckleduster grinned coyly, chewing the edge of his cigar with mild interest as Midoriya looked at him with widened eyes. "Yeah; I know about that. Gotta say… that was pretty heroic."

"H-h-how did y-you…?"

With a heavy sigh, Knuckleduster removed his cigar, releasing one last billow of thick white smoke, before crushing the cigar into the ground. "We - and I say that loosely - have been following Overhaul for a bit now. Didn't start with him, but apparently, everything leads back to him."

"Overhaul…?" The name was familiar, and yet… he still didn't have a face to a name. This was the second time he heard of the name Overhaul, if he recalled correctly. The name, like Knuckleduster, didn't strike any familiar chords in Izuku's memory nor browser history, and because of that, it seemed much more ominous.

Knuckleduster nodded gruffly. "He's an underground crime-lord. Tryin' to raise the Yakuza or somethin', I dunno. All I know is that he's come into a rather large supply of Trigger - and that's what I'm tracking."

"Trigger? Y-you mean… that's the drug, isn't it?"

There wasn't much that Midoriya actually knew about Trigger. Most of his knowledge came from the unfounded claims of the internet, as the local news had kept from reporting the highly dangerous drug. He supposedly knew it was very addictive drug, and was very self-destructive to the mind. Beyond that… it was all speculation.

Some sources stated that anyone who got it into their system would experience schizophrenic episodes, losing all traces of their sanity until they were hanging by a thread mentally. Other sources whispered that it was actually a steroid that simply unlocked the upper limits of the user's quirk; previously inaccessible because of the restraints set in place by the human mind.

There were plenty of other rumors, ranging from possibly valid to completely outlandish, but at the end of the day, no matter how believable it was, it was purely speculation.

"It's essentially an anabolic steroid, mixed with epinephrine, along with a few other things." Midoriya blinked, causing Knuckleduster to sigh. "The science shit isn't my thing; all I really know is that it's bad. It causes a quirk to go insane, and anyone who uses it becomes unreasonable. After the effects wear off, the user wants more, and that's pretty much the beginning of the end."

"We tracked a large shipment to Overhaul, and from there… well, we got a guy. It's not the guy, but it's a lead bigger than we've had in a long time. It's worth following; especially considering who Overhaul is." Knuckleduster wrung his hands together, grimacing as he did so. "We're tryin' to maintain a low profile, 'cause if the big guy figures out we're hot on his tail, he'll probably freak and start acting erratically. That'll pull the heroes further in... and if they find us, it's game over for everyone."

He then snorted, and shot Midoriya a coy grin. "But then again, nobody might even see our footprints, since he's too busy staring at his own personal wreckage, and they're playing with a new set of cards - thanks to you."

"W-what did…" Midoriya trailed off. Eri. His face fell into a complacent frown, and he hummed lowly. The teachers of U.A. had mentioned that, too. With his inadvertent 'kidnapping' of Eri (he hated the way that sounded) he had unwittingly destroyed whatever plan that this Overhaul character had in store, setting it ablaze in a bright ball of fiery destruction. It had been on his mind for several days now, the consequences of his actions hanging ominously in the air like an omen of bad news.

His impromptu decision was a benefit to everyone - with the exception of himself. There was now a bright red target painted on his back, staining his clothes and soaking his skin, and no matter what he wore, it wouldn't fade until either he - or Overhaul - died. And that made him shiver. He'd had bullies before. Some of them were persistent assailants, but none were permanent.

And Overhaul would most certainly be permanent. From the sound of it, he had discovered that he was the one who'd taken Eri from his dark clutches, and judging by the two men he'd sent… it was clear he was pissed.

"I don't regret it," Midoriya said lowly.

He meant that. In no universe would he ever leave Eri, knowing that she needed help. Someone would have to force him to leave her alone, and even then, he'd go back for her. He couldn't leave her to the fate she'd befallen. Even if Overhaul set his enraged sights on him… he'd stand firm, and take her away from the darkness every single time. In the short time he'd known her, he'd developed a protective instinct over her. She'd come to trust him, and that was not something he took lightly.

"That's good," Knuckleduster commently idly. "Stand by those ideals. Thoughts like that will get you farther than any muscle could. We all have something we're fighting for - so if the girl is your fight…" he breathed in, clenching his fists tightly. "Then don't let it go. Don't let her go."

Midoriya gave the man beside him a close look. Before he could say anything, Knuckleduster stood up abruptly, and moved over to the two unconscious agents of Overhaul. "Listen kid, I gotta clean things up. You said you were goin' home, right? You should be safe to head back."

It hadn't even occurred to Midoriya that he'd been heading home before everything went down. Once the adrenaline had kicked in, it had been non-stop energy and living in the moment. He almost felt… weird, being able to go home. Once he walked out of the ally, and left Knuckleduster to... whatever it was that he had to do, there was no guarantee he'd see the large man again. There were plenty of obstacles that stood between any sort of reunion - obvious death being the biggest one.

He glanced at the two unmoving bodies, and frowned delicately, another thought popping into his head. Was it really okay to just… leave? The two men… whatever fates awaited them with Knuckleduster and his unknown team, it ultimately didn't affect Midoriya much, but it did affect Overhaul… again. With the failure of their mission - whether it be elimination or capture - Overhaul would, no doubt, become furious, and attempt to strike again… and if he did…

Wouldn't he just send more men? Midoriya paled slightly, the thought of several assassins sneaking up on him while he slept sent his anxiety skyrocketing through the roof and sweat coursing down his body. He couldn't protect himself… not against trained fighters! Furthermore, that brought in another equation that had been unaccounted for: his father. He'd be putting his father into the line of fire - and despite everything he'd been through... there was no part of him that wanted to bring danger to his father's life. The man was misguided and abusive... but he was family.

He glanced at Knuckleduster, watching him gruffly round up the two men with little care for their injuries as he tried tying them up with some form of tape he'd pulled from his pocket. As if he were replaying the fight for the first time since it had commenced, he recognized one thing: if it hadn't been for Knuckleduster… Midoriya gulped. He probably wouldn't have survived.

"Good luck kid, stay sa-"

"Please, teach me!"

Caught by surprise, the large man fumbled the tape, accidentally wrapping it snugly around his hand as he looked directly at Midoriya. The green-haired boy clenched his eyes shut, gripping the edges of his shirt and he awaited the inevitably denial.

"T-teach you...?" Knuckleduster grimaced. "Kid, I'm not really 'teacher material'. I mean… I'm…" he huffed. Slowly, he unwrapped his hand, but the speed seemed more because he was locked in thought, as opposed to actual care. "Look. I'm just not teaching type."

"I-I know you might have reservations… b-but I would've died! I c-can't… I can't fight these guys!"

"Then hide at that fancy school of yours; I can't be your bodyguard, though." Despite his words, Midoriya couldn't misinterpret his tone - it didn't match the roughness of his words. There was more to his denial than just what he was saying.

He frowned; he couldn't be denied! He couldn't just… accept denial! He had to convince him!

"Please! Sir!" Without thinking, Midoriya bent into a full-blown Dogeza bow, his knees hitting the ground and his face touching the grimy pavement. The implications radiated off the teen in waves, sending Knuckleduster in a fit. "I need your help!"

"S-stand up kid, c'mon! You're embarrassing yourself!"

"I can't protect her without you!"

Silence.

Midoriya's heavy breathing was the only audible noise in the alleyway, a mix of his desperation and rising emotion. Not even a breeze whistled through the alley, leaving the duo in almost a blanket of deafening silence, casting a thick tension in the air. In his position, Midoriya couldn't see Knuckleduster's face, but he imagined the pure shock that was probably etched on his features.

"... what makes you think… I can help you?" His voice was like gravel; rough, but low, and coated in hesitance.

Midoriya didn't dare rise, even though he was sure he could at this point and the man wouldn't stop him. Honestly, he knew it was only because of fear that he remain face-down. Something about the look that Knuckleduster could be giving him… it worried him. The man was unreadable, and had proven his ability to cast a convincing facade earlier. There was no telling his true thoughts or feelings.

"You helped me just now."

"And…?"

The green-haired teen swallowed thickly. "I… I trust you."

"You're making a mistake." Maybe he was… but even so… Midoriya's expression tightened. He couldn't take no for an answer. He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Knuckleduster spoke again. "But that's your mistake to make. And mine to make, too."

He sighed heavily. "We can try it, but look, I'm telling you now, I ain't a great teacher. You might not learn a thing from me. And I ain't gonna guard you."

"I-I know! R-really… it's not like that!" Truthfully, it wasn't related to the fact that he was nearly powerless without Knuckleduster. While that weighed on his mind, the truth of the matter was exactly as he expressed: he needed training.

His father's words echoed in his mind. 'You know how to fight - you just don't understand what it is you're doing.'

As much as it pained him to admit it, his father was right. He didn't know what he was doing in a fight. He knew how to throw a punch, and he knew how to properly block incoming attacks… but he didn't know what it was he was doing. While it didn't particularly make sense, maybe it would come with learning under Knuckleduster.

If nothing else, he'd be under vigilance and - hopefully - he'd at least pick up a trick or two to utilize down the road. There were plenty of benefits.

"Everyone's on the way - guess I'll explain to them then. You should text your parents; you'll probably get home late." Knuckleduster missed the pained look that flashed across Midoriya's face - which was, admittedly, for the better.

That was one text message that he wasn't looking forward to sending.

When Knuckleduster said he had a team, Midoriya had been expecting something… somewhat extravagant, if he were honest. Since they'd been secluded in an alleyway - out of the public's eye - he'd been anticipating some sort of intricate extraction plan, followed by an elaborate clean-up process.

Instead, a girl - more accurately, a young woman - ended up landing in the alley next to Knuckleduster, and immediately began bickering with him, causing a small argument to break out. She hadn't even commented on Midoriya's presence - something that he was thankful, if he were honest. He'd been told several times that he was rather good at blending into his surroundings, on the account that was... rather plan. In the past, it bothered him, but as of right now, he was just a tad thankful.

After a heated few moments, in which the woman stated she couldn't just lift up the two thugs with her quirk, Knuckleduster crossed his arms in a huff and sighed, glaring at the two men. He muttered something under his breath, and kicked them once more, to the woman's immediate protest. A quick argument turned into a reluctant idea, and suddenly, they ended up settling for an ugly fix. Knuckleduster would throw the men - individually - up to a fire-escape, where the woman was waiting, before using her quirk to jump up with them in her arms. It was ugly, it was rough, but ultimately, it got the job done.

From there, Knuckleduster beckoned Midoriya to follow, before he awkwardly began climbing up a ladder located further down the alley. They'd moved quietly, the early afternoon sun beginning to fall upon their movements, flickering rays revealing everything they did. Midoriya felt even more awkward than normal, knowing that if anyone saw him, they'd probably be very suspicious.

Finally, after the most painstaking several minutes of Midoriya's life, they'd arrived upon the rooftops, where the woman - and two other people - waited rather impatiently.

"What took you so long?!" The girl, adorned in a rather colorful and exposing costume, asked as she rapidly tapped her foot on the ground. Her eyes were narrow, aimed at Knuckleduster, but widened as they landed on Midoriya. "Oh my gosh! You have a kid with you! I didn't know you were a dad!"

Knuckleduster growled. "How the hell do you get that idea?!" He sighed, his anger evaporating with the sigh, though he remained gruff. "Look, this kid'll be joining us for a bit. He's… my student, I guess."

Judging from the expression from the girl and the skinny guy next to her - was he wearing an All Might themed costume…? - that was not only unexpected, but rather humorous. At least to the skinny man.

"You took a disciple?!" Upon seeing Knuckleduster's stoic expression, his laughing immediately ceased. "W-wait, you're serious?"

"Does this look like the face of someone joking?"

The man shifted awkwardly in place. "I… guess not. But that's kind of unlike you."

"Yeah, well…" He huffed. "Kid's convincing."

Everyone turned their attention to Midoriya, making him suddenly feel very uncomfortable. He knew he was expected to say something, but nothing practical came to mind, so he settled for a timid wave and a wobbly grin. "H-hi?"

"Aww, he's cute!" She suddenly flashed a pose, showing off the vibrant (and revealing) costume she wore, sparking a multitude of thoughts within Midoriya's brain. "What do you think of my style? Glamorous, right?" She even added a wink at the end, sending the green-haired teen into a blushing fit.

"It's practicality doesn't seem very covert... maybe it's to serve as a distraction, but then, wouldn't that go against the ideas that they have in place? Does it enhance her quirk...? Perhaps it contains more aerodynamic properties that can assist in the moments of jumping..."

The woman sweat-dropped. "He's... enthusiastic?

Knuckleduster, breaking the storm of mutters to Midoriya's relief, stepped in quickly. "Look, we'll have plenty of time to interview each other later, 'kay? For now, we need to get these two clowns back to base."

"And they'll probably need medical attention…" the skinny man commented off-handedly, glancing at one of the men's faces under the mask. "Seriously; how hard did you hit them?"

"Knuckleduster not showing restraint? What a shock." Midoriya sweat-dropped as the girl spoke dryly; was this common?

"This one has a gnarly looking wrist… you really need to hold back. You can't just break people because you want to," the skinny man commented, this time, sounding more annoyed.

Before Knuckleduster could reply - and Midoriya suddenly realized that he was the one who'd managled the man's wrist - the fourth person, shrouded in the shadows and hidden from sight thanks to a mask that obscured his face, spoke up.

His voice was… strange. It was low, armed with danger and conviction, but seemed smooth and - dare he say - charismatic. In a strange way… it reminded Midoriya of his father.

"Time is running low; either we interrogate these men and cleanse the street, or we risk discovery." A shiver ran down Midoriya's spine as the man spoke.

There was something ominous in his tone; contempt hanging from each word, dripping down, like blood from a wound. Even though his words were obscured by his mask, the emotion was not dulled - if anything, the slight muffle made it seem that much darker.

Whoever this man was… Midoriya gulped. He was dangerous.

"Yeah, yeah, don't get all worked up, Stendhal," Knuckleduster said with a roll of his eyes. While he didn't seem very perturbed by 'Stendhal's' comments, Midoriya didn't feel any less cautious. A mental note was made to carefully monitor the man, just in case. Knuckleduster casually hoisted both bodies up, and tossed them onto his shoulders like sacks of potatoes. "Let's move."

Just like that, the group began moving, the woman leaping through the air gracefully, to Midoriya's amazement. She struck a pose several times, as if performing for an invisible crowd, yet didn't lose a step as she gracefully landed, and jumped again. In a sense, she reminded Midoriya of a bunny, or maybe a kangaroo; yet, her quirk bore no resemblance to either animal. And... obviously her costume didn't, either.

As he always did, Midoriya began wondering what her quirk really was. He glanced over the skinny man, who was sliding across the rooftop before lunging forward awkwardly, his movements appearing rather stiff and jank-y, compared to the woman. An awkward smile touched Midoriya's lips. It looks like he's copying the girl's quirk a little too much... not that I don't understand why - she looks so graceful! I wonder... he doesn't seem very skilled in using it, though...

"Pay attention kid." Knuckleduster's voice broke through Midoriya's musing, and the boy yelped as he narrowly spun out of the way of an air-conditioning unit, poised to take him out. The large man snorted in amusement, but didn't say anything else, to the blushing boy's appreciation.

It hadn't even been 10 minutes and he'd already almost embarrassed himself in front of his mentor, he sighed.

His eyes glanced over the scene beneath them; the streets looked... uncharacteristically peacefully. A warm sensation began to blossom within Midoriya's chest - was this what patrolling heroes felt? Suddenly, the scenery changed. He was no longer running above the world, trying to remain out of sight... but instead, he felt like... he was protecting the people below him. Like he was a watchful guardian.

Like he was a hero.

A smile spread across his face; this had been the closest he'd ever been to realizing his dream. The closest thing he'd ever touched - even though it was usually monotonous, boring and overlooked, it was something that heroes did, and something that Midoriya had only dreamt of doing.

His gaze slipped over to Stendhal - the only other name he'd heard thus far - and his smile faded just slightly. The man was casually jumping across the roof, though he didn't get close to the woman's height. His form, though, was impeccable, and it almost convinced Midoriya that he, too, could do it. Two sword hilts poked from Stendhal's back, the blades presumably hidden within the sheaths. A shiver ran down Midoriya's spin - why would he need swords...?

"Eyes forward kid," Knuckleduster said again, this time, with more amusement. Midoriya dodged another obstacle - this time, a strange metal pipe - and sighed as he nearly stumbled. "I know we're up high and all, but there's no reason to have your head in the clouds."

"S-sorry," Midoriya said between breaths. He wasn't quite out-of-breath, but this was a substantial bit of cardio - and more than the boy was used to. "I'm just t-thinking."

"You've got great reflexes!" The woman said joyously, taking a moment to slow her advancement, and simply inspect the teen. "I'm Pop-Step by the way! A real walking idol!"

Knuckleduster rolled his eyes. He mumbled something under his breath that neither he nor Pop-Step could hear, but that didn't stop her from giving him a glare and a not-so-subtle middle finger. What could be a smirk crossed his face, but disappeared just as fast, leaving Midoriya to wonder what kind of dynamic the two of them had. It certainly wasn't common - and it was far from friendly.

'Not really… an 'us', but I guess our goals align, so we work together.' Knuckleduster's words echoed in Midoriya's head; apparently, the large man hadn't been lying when he'd said that. Their teamwork - at the present moment - seemed less team-based, and more abysmal than anything else. If they were forced into a situation where working together was the only solution... Midoriya blanched at the thought.

'They'd die...' He thought as he looked at the duo.

"I guess since you've met Pop-Step, I should introduce myself, too," the sliding man said, clearly more out of breath than the rest of them - including Midoriya himself. He was hunched over, one of his hands touching the ground, while his other hand hung in the air, like he was riding a skateboard downhill. "Name's... uh... w-what is my codename?"

"The Crawler!"

"Creepy guy."

Pop-Step angrily turned toward Knuckleduster, giving him another firm glare. "Won't you shut it?! We don't need to always be picking on him, you know? He's just as capable!"

"He never said I wasn't..." The man with several names sighed. His words went unheeded by Pop-Step as she continued to berate Knuckleduster, while he took jabs back at her, smirking all the while. The Crawler sighed again, glancing at Midoriya, who had turned his attention to Stendhal. "Curious about him?" Midoriya blinked in surprise. "I am, too. He's... all sorts of odd."

"Y-yeah..." Midoriya said lightly. Stendhal had put a decent gap between himself and the group, and the teenager had a feeling it was due more to the noise that Pop-Step and Knuckleduster seemed to generate more than anything else. His costume design seemed more appropriate for the dark, or for hidden settings... not so much navigating the rooftops during broad daylight. "Who is he...?"

"Hard to say. He mostly just appeared when we were raiding a warehouse for Trigger... he and Knuckleduster fought, and the big guy ended up winning. Since then, he's stuck around... though none of us are really sure why. But he's strong, and his Quirk really helps out in capturing." With the mask on, Stendhal's face was completely obscured, though the black ponytail he wore was visible - it wasn't much, but at least it was something to go off of. "B-but... we can't really agree with his convictions."

"W-what are they?"

The Crawler grimaced. "He kills those he deems unworthy."

Midoriya's eyes widened. The Crawler nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing at the man. "He operates under a hidden agenda; we just don't know what it is. Until then... it's as the saying goes. 'Keep your friends closer...'"

"'And your enemies closer...'" Midoriya whispered softly. Where the previous warmth was, a small bubble of concern popped up, poking uncomfortably within. He'd agreed to be Knuckleduster's apprentice... but what, exactly, had he just gotten himself into...?

When they arrived to their 'hideout' - an abandon warehouse by the docks of the bay - Midoriya was given explicit instruction to wait outside until the questioning was finished, bringing more concern to his decision. As he waited outside, trying to drown out the loud shouts that came from Knuckleduster, no doubt, and the smashes that followed, the young teenager began to tremble. He'd only wanted to learn to fight better, so that he could be worthy of the U.A. admission.

He hadn't agreed to become a murderer.

Cut and wrap; and we're back, baby!

This is something I'm going to universally post on all my stories, so I apologize if it's repetitive, but I thank you for your patience in my absence. As I have previously mentioned, I work in an Emergency Department, so there are a lot of things I see daily. Death, injury, just a lot. Recently, there was a tragedy that occurred that I was involved in upon their arrival, and lest to say... it was a very traumatic experience. I can't delve into details, but I needed time away. Time away from writing, time away from everything. No expectations. No anything.

I know it doesn't suffice, but of course, we all need this time from day-to-day, and it took me a few weeks to truly feel like I was recovering. I can't promise that I'll get into a regular update period, but I'll try, and I'll be pouring my heart into each fic moving forward. So thank you for your patience.

shukkets: You caught it! That was, in fact, Knuckleduster! Like I said, it's an AU, and in this AU, the Vigilantes roam free and in the same timeline! I wanted it to be an opportunity to give change of pace to a lot of things, and completely re-shape the story as its going. This is where the fun gets even fun...er!

Mitarashi Misato: Exactly! And you'll notice that maaaaybe that bullet wasn't focused on... ;)

Dragon Courage: I appreciate your kindness! Sorry about the cliffie, and the rather darkness of the fight. This chapter might not seem much better... but, hey, it'll make more sense next chapter! Probably.

Hektols: Nah. That'll be explained more, but for now, keep it in the back of your mind. And that's what I was thinking, too! Knuckleduster is a fairly decent sensei, too, so hopefully, it'll work out. But there's more to their crew than just him, so maybe they'll ALL be something? As for the bullets... ;)

Istahil: The parallels you drew were awesome; that's something that will be highlighted more in the future. It'll also give Midoriya another view on himself, while providing something in his life that might, just might, be more than fighting.

Colinpop5: Thanks!

Astoon: Nah, you got it right!

Phildev: I'm sure a lot of people had the same idea as you. But, c'mon, big bully and pitiful child are like, 2015 fanfiction. This is 2018, where things are dark and scary, and there's psychological bullshit that I'm going to throw at you. But in all seriousness, I'm glad you gave it a chance!

Firefeni: He suffers a lot for a good cause! But, you nailed it - the big man has arrived!

reynardgautama: Cheers!

Blackhole-Called-Anime: Yes, all of that... and then some! Haha, but thank you kindly!