Hey, guys. Not an actual update but rather the REWRITTEN version of the first few chapters. I would like to thank everyone for calling me out on obvious problems.

Interviner: You certainly can say so, my friend. And yeah, relationships are quite the bitch to write. And making a flipping harem seem not as much of contrived wish-fulfillment installment is even a bigger bitch. But, what can you do?

Natsu Is Awesome: Yeah. Trust me, I am going to poke and pick a lot at the different tropes and parts of Harem genre. Yes, that sounds quite good. I really like this development more compared to the usual 'She loves him! He loves her! So perfect' approach. Relationships take work. And mutual one at that. Also, dude... Damn! You have some really good suggestions! I am almost jealous at the eye you have for such things. Just like your nickname suggests, you are awesome!

WhatAJoke: Well, that certainly is a good way to show it then. Yeah, I agree. My biggest problem with harems is how authors (mostly, guys) write relationships as nothing more than kisses and innuendos and jealousy. I am not sure if you will like the exam itself. But I hope you will be pleased by what I planned overall.

GirugameshPanda: Same here. That's why I like Superman and Batman so much and characters like them. I can certainly say that we are going to have more insight into Lore of BNHA-verse here. And yeah, real changes are starting in this chapter so watch out for them!

Karlos1234ify: He probably will.

Kyuubi-dono: That's damn right. Although I wouldn't say that this story is inspired by Spider-Man as much as it probably should be. I would reserve most of it for God Game. Also, I like the ideas behind your names though. Still working on one myself.

HelL4DAluCarD: I know. I am trying to come up with something to write for it but, unfortunately, I can't get it going. It just feels like I can't come up with anything worthwhile lately. I'll try to do my best though)

Arxhaelogist: Comments like yours really help me up the speed of writing, you know. I am really happy that you found the story thought-provoking. I am inspired by the Coeur Al'Aran's method of writing where he asks himself the logical questions about the world and picks certain concepts apart and presents them as deconstruction. You really should check out his RWBY stories if you are into this sort of thing. Yeah, that is going to be something to write. Keep reading~!

Jiruku: A fellow Jiruku fan, huh? Though I prefer calling them "Izurou". Now THIS is something I was interested in. I really like your response and would love to discuss the reasons behind the decision in private. (To avoid spoiling anything). As for Izuku being OOC, you are right, that was my bad. Hopefully, this version will be an improvement.

In case you are worried about the rewrite of the early chapters delaying the plot, don't. Everything after this one is pretty much settled in stone though not completely closed to alterations.

Any and all feedback on changes is appreciated.

PLEASE! Read the note at the end of the chapter. IMPORTANT!

What makes a hero?

It was the constant question on Izuku's mind ever since he discovered that he was Quirkless. To those who were born "normal", the answer was easy. It was powers that made heroes. But, to him - who dreamed of being something he could never become if the society dictated the rules - such simple answer wasn't enough. What did heroes have that made them who they were?

If it was just powers that made heroes, then anyone could be one. No, there must have been something much deeper to it. Was it the power of will that pushed them beyond their limits and fears? Some goal known only to them? Or maybe simple desire to help people?

He always believed that he had something within him that could make him a hero. If not a Quirk, then hard work and determination would be his tools in carving his path as one of the world's finest. No matter how hard it would be, no matter how many obstacles would stand in his way, he would find a way around the fate's plans for him. Even if every single person spat on his dreams or shook their head in disapproval, he would keep on going.

But years passed, and the dream of overcoming the genetic barriers between him and his peers grew weaker and weaker with each passing day. As his training gave no significant results, he was growing more doubtful of his goals. No matter how long and thoroughly he analyzed every single hero and Quirk out there, it wouldn't do him much good if he couldn't do anything by himself. So what if he knew the maximum strength Death Arms had? So what if he knew every single move in Kamui Woods' arsenal?

None of that mattered. At the end of the day, he was still Deku, Quirkless Good for Nothing.

"Midoriya-kun, are you with me?"

His focus snapped back to reality, eyes blinking in an attempt to readjust themselves to the world around him. Old grayish white walls with numerous posters and picture frames all over them, most of them showing different students and the man with short black hair, some grey slowly paving its way throughout the years. The same man sitting at the desk right in front of him.

"S-Sorry, Takarin-san," Izuku mumbled out awkwardly, cheeks flushing in embarrassment. Did he doze off during the session again? He really was making a fool of himself, wasn't he? "W-What were you saying?"

The man sighed but smiled immediately, showing neither anger nor irritation. His expression said it all. The guidance counselor was pitying him. Just like the other teachers, the man's brown eyes with square pupils were filled with the same look one would give a crippled child. Not that in the eyes of today's society, there was much difference.

In today's society, being one was no better than being handicapped.

Sounds cruel? It was. Without any doubt, it was cruel to all of them. But it didn't make this statement any less true. No matter how simple or even ridiculous some Quirks may seem, it doesn't change the fact that those born with active Alpha-Gene were one step above those who weren't. Superior physical potential alone put them levels above the 'old' generation of humanity.

Take Eraserhead for example. The man's Quirk was the ability to nullify Quirks of anyone he looked at. But what about all his physical feats?

While he operated mostly in secrecy, there was footage and photo evidence of him moving faster than a normal man could. Fighting against villains two or even three times his size. He had been through fires and explosions and survived those with fewer scars than possible.

Comic books always threw such issues off with explanations of "peak human condition" or "power of will". But that was not some comic book, it was the reality. And in real world, being just a Quirkless person already put you at disadvantage.

Strength, speed, stamina and the other physical traits of the Quirk-users were superior compared to those of the Quirkless portion of population. They had a much more potent immune system. While they could contract the same diseases, it always required longer and more thorough exposure to the virus or bacteria to become sick. Additionally, while still under some doubt and speculations, people born with Quirks were reported to recover from diseases or surgeries at a much faster rate with a bigger probability of full recovery.

Quirk users, whether their Quirks were related to it or not, were generally known to possess superior physical capabilities, albeit limited to certain degree. While not all of them exhibited the level of strength or speed comparable to those of even Deathgoro or Ingenium, people with Quirks were able to take more serious damage than Quirkless. The only exceptions to these two characteristics were cases when people's Quirks either nullified or countered the effects of the innate abilities given by the Quirks.

In short, being born Quirkless meant you were already three levels lower than those who were gifted with them. Kids could run around, throwing light explosions at each other and suffer only burns and bruises. While a Quirkless person could end up with much more serious damage. Without Quirk, you might as well be a cripple. Without it, you couldn't be a hero. Without it, you were noth-

"- a very gifted young man," Izuku shook his head, inner monologue pushed back away. He seriously needed to stop falling out of the conversation like that. One of these day, this could get him into serious trouble. "Just because you don't have a Quirk doesn't mean that there are no other ways for you to be a hero."

His words were kind and thoughtful, but at the same time they cut Izuku deeper than any insult or mockery Kacchan and his lackeys threw his way. Their words were filled with disdain and sense of superiority, things that Izuku could somewhat ignore or push back into his mind with the same negativity. But Takarin-san's words had nothing like that in them. They bore the same meaning as the man's actions towards his students: help them find their way in life.

And it only made Izuku feel worse.

They wanted to help him. To make sure that down the road, he wouldn't end up broken over his childhood dream. It was nothing new, after all. Izuku took another - more careful - look at the pictures on the walls. So many people must have come into this office, some with dreams so big and complex that they were simply unfeasible and some with no one there to guide them. And, clearly, in the counselor's eyes, Izuku was the former.

He knew who he wanted to be. But he would never be able to accomplish his dream. So why not help him now and prevent any pain and disappointment in the future? By all means, the man was doing nothing wrong.

Except for wanting Izuku to give up on his dream.

"Thank you, Takarin-san," he bowed slightly before picking up his bag. He didn't need to look to see the man's shoulder slump slightly in defeat. It was no new battle between the two. And it certainly wouldn't be the last. They had an entire year to settle this dispute after all.

"See you on Monday," the man called out as the door closed behind the young man. It was a shame to see a good kid like this one suffer through the harsh reality. It was even harder to be the one to try and show him just how impossible his dream was. While his intentions were good, he needed to understand and acknowledge his limits. Without a Quirk, he wouldn't survive a day in the field.

It was a shame, really. The kid had the heart of a true hero. More than enough times he personally saw Midoriya, weak and useless as many of his classmates labelled him, stand up to the bullies when someone was hurt. Sometimes, he arrived only to see the boy beaten to the pulp. Sometimes kids forgot just how much stronger people born with Quirks were in comparison to their peers. They didn't hold any punches and it showed so clearly.

And yet he smiled. Even as he walked away with more bruises than he deserved. Even as he heard neither thanks nor praise for what he did. Even if the very person he helped looked more embarrassed than grateful for being saved by a Quirkless kid... Despite all of this, his smile never wavered, genuinely kind and hopeful. The smile that said that, as long as he helped even one single person, he would be happy.

Ironically - and tragically, in its own way - the young man never could gather the courage to stand up for himself. He could throw himself to get beaten but never had enough spirit to talk back or confront any of his tormentors by himself. And when he tried to help him, Izuku just changed the topic, obviously not wanting to get Kacchan and his friends involved no matter how long he tried to convince him otherwise.

Bakugou Katsuki... The man couldn't help but sigh at the name of the aspiring hero. He knew that he was a good kid too. Somewhere, behind all the anger and pride, there was a boy who genuinely wanted to be a hero. But, for reasons still largely unknown, he also seemed to feel that he needed to prove himself strongest to everyone. And out of all things possible, he picked brutal force and intimidation as his means to the end.

And these two used to be friends... A lot of friendships never survived school, he quickly reminded himself bitterly. That was quite the sad truth you learn over the years of working with students. Social food chains tend to tear people apart and push them into their own cliques where you are supposed to fit the best.

It was still no less sad as he watched the two boys grow further and further apart through the years here until they turned into bully and bullied. He tried resolving the issue by inviting both sides' parents but... In the end, it never changed. While physical bullying ceased completely (the fear of getting his record marked), Bakugou never stopped verbally and emotionally assaulting Midoriya. And the green haired boy himself...

He just lived with that. As if he already accepted the current state of his life as normal and moved on.

He sighed, fingers massaging the bridge of his nose in the mixture of frustration and helplessness. For all the things he could do to help both kids, there was only so much - or rather, only so little - that he could really do. The best thing he could do right now, with both of them stubborn on doing things their way, the guidance counselor could only hope that those two would find the way to either accept his help...

Or resolve the problems on their own.

HVH

Mutsufasu City... One of the Japan's biggest and most developed cities in the modern Japan. While still not a capital city, the level of sheer financial and infrastructural development in it was the reason why the school as prestigious as Yuuei was located here. With the city constantly growing and expanding, it was no surprise that a lot of people came here in search of the better life.

The day here was as bright as ever, the gentle spring air with slight notes of sakura tree blowing in his face. Several stories below, he could hear the frantic movement of traffic, some people laughing, some cursing and some just worrying about their everyday problems. In a city as big as this one, the hurry was as essential and everpresent as air. To the point they were none the wiser to what was happening right under their noses.

Or above their heads, in this case.

"I swear to God, I don't know!"

Yeah, didn't hear that one before...

Aizawa only glared at the man trying to convey the message that he wasn't buying any of it. The man was a notable information broker. Nothing major. No grand hacks or schemes or any of that sort. But he sure as hell was capable of it. And if there was anything major going on in the underground, then this man was the first if not only person to know.

"I am going to ask you one more time," the man struggled against the grip on his neck, the supply of oxygen running thin as he applied more pressure. Not enough to actually hurt him, but enough to make anyone believe he was about to kill the thug in his arms. Not that he wouldn't resort to it if the man kept pushing it. "Where is it?"

To his credit, the man didn't talk. Contrary to how media loved to portray villains, they were not absolutely cowardly and stupid. A lot of today's villains understood their rights and how to play the law to their own advantage. Many of them knew how heroes worked. With younger ones (those who were only at the start of the career), you could get away with lots of things. They were still young, some of them still idealistic and thus easy to read and manipulate.

However, he wasn't one of those.

If there was one thing the criminal world of Japan knew about Eraserhead, it was that you didn't mess with him. Many of the people whose criminal empires he took down from inside and outside often said that he was 'a villain on heroes' side'. He would play by the rules only as long as it was required. He would negotiate and play peacemaker. He would try to neutralize you and make sure you walked away with minimum injuries. But play the untouchable a little too long... make even one single step out of line...

And you would learn why some people feared him more than anyone else in the Top Ten. He wouldn't even try to hide the way he dealt with you. You couldn't threaten his reputation or public opinion of him. Because, for him, there was nothing but mission.

If there was one thing Aizawa knew about life, it was that you could never hide the truth forever. Sooner or later, it would find its way out and then you would face the consequences. That's why he never even tried to hide his involvement in less than graceful or noble fights against villains and crime organizations all across Japan. The public often chalked it up to unlucky incidents or extreme measures he had to take.

As far as he was concerned, his own image was as irrelevant as Endeavor's choice of underwear.

Deep down, Aizawa often wondered when was the last time he felt regret over killing another person. And the more he thought about it, the further and further he had to go down the memory path. His kill count was nowhere near Endeavor's level. But those were the lists of villains that the public knew about. He knew that he was only one or two bodies behind the flaming hero, at best.

No, he shook his head, forcefully pushing the irrelevant thought into his mind. Focus on the mission.

He had no time to debate on something as small and unimportant as his own standing. All he wanted right now was to get whatever scraps of information his sole lead had. Even if he had to force it out of him. Having practiced the same move over thousands of times, he loosened the cloth around his neck and, with a slight tug, wrapped it around the man's neck. He could see the fear grow in the man's eyes, doubt and self-preservation chipping away at his resolve to keep silent.

He would break the moment the black dots appeared on his vision's edges. It was only a matter of time...

"Eraserhead!"

Damn it, not you... Not now.

He suppressed the urge to sigh in frustration. Or rather, tried to and failed at it. "All Might?" He gave the hulking hero a look of acknowledgement before turning back to the broker. Ignoring the disapproving look All Might gave him, the Erasing Hero held the man out, his feet dangling helplessly in the air. Just one wrong move and he would fall. Down towards the ground until he became a bloody mess on it. That was what Aizawa wanted the man to picture.

And yet he grinned victoriously at him. It was the smile of someone who knew that, no matter what he did, he wouldn't be hurt. The kind of smile so many criminals displayed when they went on rampage only to surrender with bodies left behind but law dictating fair trial. The same wicked grin so many crime bosses gave the public as they were placed under protection of police and heroes.

The same smile that he wore.

"What brings you here?"

He hoped that his tone would be enough to convey the simple message: 'Go away.'

"Aizawa," the man's eyes narrowed, voice calm but devoid of any over the top theatrics in his tone. He obviously understood what he wanted. But he wouldn't do it. "Put that man down. Now."

"Not until he tells me what I want," he retorted, eyes glowing bright red as he stared the crook down. In interrogations, one of the most crucial parts was control. As long as you were or, at least, appeared to be in complete control over the situation, you would achieve the desirable results. The important part was to not let anyone take control away from you. And if someone did, just like All Might mere moments ago,...

Then you had to take it back.

"Don't!"

As the man fell down towards the streets, All Might practically flew past him, blue eyes blazing as he used his speed and reflexes to carefully capture the crook in mid-fall without causing him any damage. Landing on the solid ground for the briefest sliver of second, the top hero soon was back, his cold blue eyes now staring right into Aizawa's dispassionate black ones.

With all the care of the shark in blood bath, Aizawa grabbed the broker out of All Might'a arms and stared right into his eyes.

"Talk," the man was shaken. Terrified and on the brink of breakdown. Just one single threat would break his resolve. "Or this time I won't let him save you."

There we go, Aizawa thought as he memorized all the addresses, names and details the man spilled like he was on a death row. The pace at which he was throwing out the information almost made Aizawa feel sorry for him. Almost. "Now go."

He didn't let him off out of the goodness of heart. Men like this were useful in the long run. Every once in a while, you would always find someone not unlike this man. They were smart and resourceful provided they were used properly. And now that he knew that he could be found and executed so quickly even with the top hero nearby, this man would give Aizawa any and all information he wanted. Anywhere. Anytime.

"What the hell were you thinking?" The man was finally gone and now it was only the two of them. Honestly, Aizawa would have preferred if All Might was his usual self and tried to deliver the man to a hospital or something like that. "You could have killed that man!"

"I was conducting interrogation when you barged in and ruined everything."

"How snapping someone's neck would help the investigation?"

"It wouldn't." He said, though not admitting that All Might's point was true. "If you didn't show up, he would crack. But then you came in and the guy knew you would rather fight me than have him die. So I had to resort to more drastic measures."

And he got the information they all needed.

All Might was his friend. His trusted ally and respected colleague. But sometimes he wished the top hero would just step aside and let him do the job his way. There was a reason why not everyone could be the eversmiling Symbol of Peace. It took different kinds of people to deal with different kinds of crime, after all.

"He gave me everything I wanted from him. Contact anyone you think might be necessary for the mission. When we meet at the Yuuei, I will share the information and we will discuss all the necessary adjustments to it."

He jumped off the roof and used his bandages to swing away.

"Don't be late."

HVH

"I won't."

Toshinori sighed, the white steam rising from his body as he felt the strength leave him. His muscles evaporated and soon he stood on the roof alone, his frame skinny and thin. He looked at his hand and clenched it into a fist, the image of his one strong and unbreakable form coming to mind.

It's all my fault.

It all started with the solution.

The solution to his problem.

For years, Toshinori was looking for ways to prolong his life as a hero. Not out of selfish desire to shine at the top. Not out of fear of death either. But rather because he didn't believe that he found the right person to pass his power onto. Nighteye suggested Mirio and there was truly something great about that young man. But no matter how long the clairvoyant tried to convince him, All Might couldn't bring himself to give One for All to the student.

"I can still keep going!"

That was what he always said to Nighteye and the other heroes who knew of his condition when the issue of a successor was brought up. The world needed him. And he made a promise to himself that, no matter what it cost him, he would continue fighting as the Symbol of Peace until the day of his death.

Recovery Girl and several other healers could restore him to his prime condition but only at the tremendous cost for them and short amount of time. In the end, the effort was not worth the result. He kept trying different methods to improve his health condition but all results were only temporary and proved ineffective with the prolonged used.

When he practically lost hope, however, Hatsume Akaseki, one of the closest allies of his, said that he finally found a way.

All Might couldn't arrive to the genius' laboratory fast enough.

"Nanorobotics." Countless blur prints and holograms and models greeted the Symbol of Peace as he entered the man's laboratory. They were all about the machines of various designs and, as All Might later learned, purposes. "When Quirks emerged, the research and development in this department went down because people were far more concerned with what caused genetic changes in them. But I always thought that the concept had far more potential."

Solve the problem of hunger. Cure diseases. Improve humanity. The possibilities for the nanomachines were endless and, according to Hatsume, with them, there was nothing a man couldn't accomplish in due time. It all sounded like a dream.

But All Might dared to hope.

As the blond hero jumped from one roof to another, eyes searching for crimes to stop, the episode from over a month ago played out in his head. The genius inventor was working on the entire colony of self-reproducing nanomachines that could, in theory, mend his body back to its prime. Programmed with billions of commands, they would be able to support and even replace any vital tissues and organs that showed the signs of failure.

With this, he could continue being the Symbol of Peace twenty four/seven.

"How close are you to completion?" His voice betrayed his hopeful and disbelieving tone.

The man smiled.

"Just one step away."

Just one step away...

Just a few more months of research and testing and he would be back to his strongest. Wasn't it cruel play of fate that no sooner than two weeks after that someone broke into the facility and stole every single piece of data as well as the experimental prototypes of nanobots? While their main purpose was to essentially serve as the enhanced version of life-support, Akaseki raised the potential of the very system being converted into something far more dangerous.

He was one of the smartest people in the world. But that didn't mean that even those with lesser IQ wouldn't find the way to weaponize his invention. One of the worst parts of the entire situation was that the main element of the robots was already completed.

They were self-replicating.

If one managed to militarize the nanomachines, this man would be provided with limitless supply of weapons of his own choosing. Untraceable and malleable, these weapons could be made powerful enough to be considered weapons of mass destruction.

A few weeks after the incident, five heroes went to apprehend a group of unidentified villains who started gathering local gangs under their command. According to the inside information, they were just a bunch of unskilled amateurs with more power than experience. They were sent out while the top of the heroics system kept searching for the nanomachines. They found them. The group of five that were sent to take down a small group of villains found the nanomachines.

But they never lived to tell this.

All Might and the others learned it from their scorched corpses.

He couldn't blame Aizawa for acting the way he did. Despite all their differences, he knew that the man had only the best interests in mind. They were losing time. Loss that they couldn't afford in the current situation.

"All Might," the voice of the redheaded genius spoke into his comm, bringing him back into reality. His voice was the mixture of anxiety and excitement. "We found them!"

His entire body tensed.

His teeth clenched.

His eyes blazed blue.

"Show me the way."

HVH

Hit, run, live.

Repeat.

That was the motto of the common crook known among his fellow scumbags and bastards as "Rat". He never found the nickname insulting though. Much better than the name his parents gave him before tossing him out on the streets the moment he hit fifteen.

To say that life was harsh mistress to him was understatement. He always pictured life as the kind of far and ugly bitch that loved to grind your face into dirt and spit on your hopes and efforts. So why bother impress some old hag like this? That was why he formed a small gang of his own. The same unfavourites of fate that had nothing to lose.

They never pulled off anything big. They were underlings and petty thieves at best. Rough up some college kids for their money. Steal some idiot's wallet. Vandalize a car or someone's home and other shit like that. They never expected to stand on the same level as Eight Precepts of Death or Vipers or some other major organization.

And yet... For once in their lives, the bitch they called life decided to give them something but bruises and kicks.

"Take them."

He stared at his palm, the memory of weird white patch in it. His friends did some light drugs but never got too much into it. Well, except for the Jaws but she was another story entirely. The girl had some issues. And coming from him, that meant something.

Still, they were promised a pretty good sum just for slapping those things onto any region of their body and they were hardly in position to say no to such money. As the burning pain surged through his entire being, he couldn't regret doing it more. It felt like this shit was burning and dissolving his veins and muscles as he screamed in agony.

And when the pain was gone...

He couldn't feel better.

"Boss," the man in black jeans and nothing else entered the room, his breath labored and eyes wide in shock. There was no sign of the arrogant grin the prick gave him when he said he would take the head position of the gang. "Heroes! They are here!"

Heroes? Well, it would happen sooner or later. You don't just murder a bunch of sidekicks and walk away. Still, if they thought he and his friends would just surrender like chumps they had a nasty surprise coming.

"Gather the men and get ready for the attack!" He barked out an order, the black liquid rising from his back and spreading across his arms and torso. The blobs of pitch black then extended towards some guns and weapons that his underlings gathered for him before swallowing them up. It took less than ten seconds for those guns to become part of him.

He still had no idea why that man in white gave this power to them. They didn't delude themselves into believing they were anything special. They were just a bunch of misfits with nothing coming for them. Maybe it was the very reason why he chose them? Honestly, Rat had no idea. Hell, he couldn't even contact the guy after he handed them cash and wished good luck.

"Ready to go all out?" He turned to see the fellow members of his gang, each and every drenched and coated in black slime. His hands ending with sharp claws, the young man with long green hair - known as simply Loc - stepped forward and chuckled humorlessly. "Huh, never thought we would go against some heroes. Guess it comes with the territory."

"I say we run," another member - the woman with short blue hair - spoke up even though her own long black tendrils were growing spikes all over themselves. "They've got heavy hitters like All Might and even Endeavor on their side. We have no chance! We should just take the money and run before we get caught and-"

"And what? Pushed into slammer? Afraid someone is gonna make you her bitch, Prin?" Jaws grinned as she licked her lips with a long meaty tongue. Her face, which now looked like the hairless black mask with white eyes and sharp teeth. "We don't have to beat them! we just need to do enough damage to make sure our names are written down in history and then BAM! Prison is like resort till we break out and do more damage!"

"You little psycho. you think Endeavor will let us-"

"Enough!" Rat commanded. He grew stronger and more confident ever since he assumed the leadership. Time to make good on his status. "We will fight them. No doubt they surrounded the entire area. They must have speedsters and barrier creators at their call should any make a break for it. But, if any of you want to leave, you can do so freely. I will not hold a grudge."

Prin didn't need to be told twice. She headed towards the exit muttering something about this being suicide and foolish macho thing. But he didn't want to listen. He was tired of running. If he was going to go down and be imprisoned (which would happen anyway), he would do it as the man who fought All Might and his cronies. He would make his name means something. "It's time to go. Get ready boys!"

The wall into their headquarters burst open, heroes standing with powers activated and weapons drawn. Their own men soon joined in, both sides finally ready to fight.

He couldn't even hope to beat any of the heroes up. They had skills, training and experience, he knew that much. Then again, none of them did. Maybe it was just some "bad guys" shit? Like, you will get beaten up anyway so why not try and land a few hits yourself? Or maybe it was just pride and arrogance? He didn't really bother with any philosophy as he opened fire and tried to shoot as many sidekicks and heroes as he could. He needed just a moment for his army to be ready and...

He couldn't help but grin at the expressions of heroes as the rest of the gang - his entire gang - roared and screeched in agony before doubling over in pain. They looked confused and even concerned but their looks would be nothing compared to what followed after that.

Black. It was quickly becoming his favorite color. As the billions of tiny cells spread across his underlings, he couldn't help the sense of superiority wash over him as all of them transformed from small-time crooks and punks with guns into hulking monsters. Some of them were fully transformed into beasts of black. Some partially. But it didn't change the fact that now numbers were definitely on their side.

That was the problem with heroes. They always looked down on criminals like them and arrived in smaller numbers. As if to say that one of them was enough to take them all down. Well, this time they wouldn't get away without paying for their arrogance!

He never wanted to fight. He always ran. There was nothing for him to gain from fighting.

"Gentlemen..." he whispered, countless eyes turning to him as the bloodthirsty grin spread all over his face. Today things were different. Everything was different now. He had things to lose if he ran away now. So he wouldn't do it. He would stay... "ATTACK!"

... and he would fight.

He was quickly assaulted by Eraserhead, the man obviously going for him with his steel cloth. He smirked and willed his arms turn into giant swords before clashing with the Erasing Hero. Whatever helped him (most probably, the same thing that was running through blood of every single person here), he couldn't turn his powers off so now he had the upper hand. He was going to use it to the fullest.

Slash. Stab. Parry. He wasn't very good at swordplay but was fast and strong enough to actually push the hero back. Heh, he - a petty crook - was pushing the badass like Eraserhead back! His excitement ended much quicker than he would love it to as some gorilla-like hero sucker-punched him from behind.

"Stay down!" He hissed in pain and annoyance as the brute wrapped his hands around his torso, obviously trying to force him to surrender with brute force. But he wouldn't be at the top of the food chain if he lost that easily. The shriek of pain brought a smile to his face. The grip around him weakened and he used the opportunity to grab the hero by his giant hand before throwing him at the other heroes.

"These guys are strong!"

"Don't lost focus!" One of the heroes extended his wooden limb and smacked a bunch of black-covered monsters aside. "We are pushing them back!"

He did have a point. It was obvious they wouldn't last in a fight for long.

Not when heroes were so focused on taking them down.

"Everyone, scatter!" The order caught everyone by surprise. "Every single one of you that can move and fight, run! Spread across the city and cause as much damage as you can! Now!"

Now they had something to busy themselves with. The monsters jumped through the ceiling before their laughter spread in the air, the loud promise of slaughter and destruction resonating in the night sky. He was quickly slammed into the wall, the icy blue eyes of the Top Hero glaring into his own.

"What the hell did you do?!"

"Do you really have time to ask these questions?" He smirked, voice taunting and confident even though he couldn't fight anymore. The man could snap him like a twig and yet he was the one who felt victorious here. The sounds of explosions and panic grew loud and frantic, alerting everyone. "Doesn't look like that to me."

Even as the man punched him unconscious, Rat couldn't help but smile.

HVH

"Wow, they actually engaged in direct combat."

The lonely figure, dressed in white and grey clothes stood at the top of the building, his form concealed away from everyone's eyes and sensors. Honestly, he didn't expect those kids to grow a backbone. Then again, it's not like anything changed in terms of his plans and goals. It would still make him feel bad once he went to harvest the data the nanomachines collected for him. They could be quite useful given time and some guidance. Unfortunately, he had neither.

"Aren't you feeling bad that you left them behind?"

No response followed, though it was not unexpected. He took another look at the girl... or rather what was left of her. Her skin was ashen white and seemed to crack all over the place. Her once blue hair were now grey and lifeless. Just like the rest of her being. Her powers did provide quite the interesting addition to the code. Too bad he never would see her utilize the enhanced version of those.

"Raaargh!" One of the monsters appeared right behind him, seemingly out of nowhere. Did the nanobots enhance his camouflage Quirk or something of that sort? Well, more data to analyze for the good old doctor back at the base. For now... "Urgh?"

The monster didn't even know what hit him until its head fell on the roof before the blood burst out of his neck like a fountain. He took out the piece of black plastic before pushing it against the monster's chest. It took a few more minutes for the tech to stop scanning through all the data the nanomachines collected throughout their short existence. The green lines stretched all across the entire thing before the small portion of nanobots detached itself from the body and was absorbed into the lines.

|DATA ACQUIRED|

"Whew," he whistled in amusement as the holographic screen on his arm-pad displayed all the information this guy provided. Rat certainly saved them trouble by spreading all those patches across his gang. Too bad he too would have to go. "It is going to be a busy night, huh?"

The nanomachines would provide more data if their hosts became more active. So he could allow himself an hour or so before he harvested it all. Thankfully, it could be done remotely. Otherwise, he would have to go after each and every psycho on a rampage. Not something he would enjoy. He had a few more hours until every single monsters was taken down, subdued or incapacitated.

For now? He would just kick back and enjoy the show.

As his eyes zoomed in on the streets, he couldn't help but feel amused at how people reacted to monsters. They could fight. Heck, he was pretty sure a lot of them could even kill those things. But the society dictated they couldn't. And they accepted they were weak and in need of protection so they ran. They ran and screamed like little children, abandoning everything and ready to step all over each other.

"Look out!"

Hm? He looked down to see the boy with green hair push some old man out of the monster's way. He helped the man up before trying to get him to safety. Now that was amusing to watch. Heroes reacted fast. But even then they could only save so many lives. And with the threat that big, some areas were just doomed to become the slaughterhouse. He wondered briefly if this kid would make it out of this mess alive.

"Sadly, I don't have time for this," he whispered before taking off towards the bigger fish. While he could collect all the data and nanomachines remotely, he still needed to clean up some trails in order to make sure nothing could connect him to the entire mess. He honestly hoped the kid survived the night. Or maybe not. He was just amusing to watch but nothing more.

Time to tie the loose ends.

One click of a button would end it all.

HVH

Izuku was dead.

Well, not yet. But it wouldn't be too long before he was. What the hell was he thinking about? He should have run together with the rest of the crowd and let the actual heroes handle this! It wasn't too late. If he ran right now, he would be safe! He wanted to run. He wanted to live. And yet...

"Run!" He yelled out but didn't move himself. Standing between the girl and the monster, he hastily picked up some steel pipe from the ground and held it in front of himself. It was hollow and barely weighed anything but could serve as a makeshift weapon. For about a minute or so until the creature slashed it into pieces. "I'll hold it off! Run!"

The girl with spiky brown hair listened and was gone very soon. The monster easily jumped over him and would chase after the girl if Izuku didn't throw his only weapon at it. Honestly, he didn't know what he hoped would happen. It's not like he had any significant arm strength, or any strength at that. The steel pipe lamely bounced off the monster's head, not even as much as a wince coming from it.

It did the job, however. It drew the monster's attention away from the girl... and right back to him.

"Raaargh!" Despite its size, the monster moved fast. Fast enough to disappear into a blur of black and flesh before slamming him into the ground with all the grace and force of a truck. Izuku coughed hoarsely, the air escaping from his lungs and mouth, the shards of glass on the ground piercing his back. He could feel his ribs cracking under the pressure. It wouldn't be too long until one of them pierced his organs.

It was surprisingly calm on the streets. Maybe it was just all the pain and shock but the streets seemed empty with only the two of them here. Most heroes must have been busy evacuating people somewhere farther away. Only after they took care of the majority of the people and monsters were taken care of, they would have enough heroes to check for the survivors.

He doubted he would live long enough for that though.

So this is how it ends...? He thought weakly, staring into soulless black eyes of the monster. It opened its mouth, displaying rows and rows of razor sharp white teeth. Its unnaturally long tongue slithered out as if it was about to enjoy the meal. Heh... I guess it is...

At least, his death wouldn't be in vain. He managed to save two people even if all he did was something as small as serving as bait. Even if it was brief, he was a hero. Despite this, however, Izuku couldn't completely overcome the fear of death. He stared into the bloodthirsty eyes of the monster and gritted his teeth. If he were to die like this...

Then he would face the death with dignity as all heroes did.

The monster drew its clawed hand back.

Izuku gathered all his courage and tried to channel it into his words.

"Do your worst."

He closed his eyes at the last second and braced himself for the impact but... No pain came. Slowly, he opened his eyes only to see the monster frozen. Not in encased in ice or turned into stone but looking as if paralyzed. What happened?

It didn't tale for him to learn the answer as the skin of the monster turned lifeless ashen gray. Cracks spread all over its now dry and stony flesh before falling apart and turning to dust. The muscles and bones, the claws and fangs, all faded away, the man falling against Izuku, his eyes rolled back and black tongue out. For a moment, he panicked and pushed him off of himself, not sure what to expect. Was he dead? Did he need help?

"Urgh..." The groan from the man's body managed to calm Izuku down if only a little. He picked the man up, his body strangely light for someone his size. He wore simple sleeveless T-shirt with baggy pants and Izuku could clearly see no injuries on him. Wait... "What is this?"

There was a small patch of white cloth. He gave the man a second look and saw similar - albeit, grey or black - ones on his wrists and elbows. They were much smaller than this one as well. Just what was he- No. He put the white patch away into his pocket, making a note to give it back to the man once he regained consciousness.

He didn't have time to think about it right now. This man needed medical attention and he couldn't waste time asking questions he wouldn't get answers for any time soon. He took the man's arm and grabbed him under the armpit, trying to make carrying the man as easy and comfortable as possible. The area of relief couldn't be so far away, right? The heroes must be patrolling the streets and would find them soon.

Until then he could, at least, help carry the man towards safety. Even if not even ten minutes ago, he was more than happy to end his life.

But this is what heroes should do, He reminded himself. To leave someone behind when the person needed help was not heroic. The man groaned again but still refused to wake up, instead drooling all over his shoulder. Despite this slight inconvenience, Izuku couldn't help but notice how he no longer could hear the sounds of battle even remotely. Is it over?

If it was, then he could certainly walk much faster and with calmer mind.

"Hey, over here!" Izuku looked up, spotting the man in red and white light armor suit. Izuku couldn't help but stare at the man awestruck. It was Buster Hero! "I found two more people!"

He was obviously talking to someone in charge of evacuation and relief. As the man descended from the sky, Izuku couldn't help but feel the growing pit in his stomach. Something wasn't right... He felt something bad coming. But from where?

"Get away from me!"

Izuku yelped as he was pushed away by the man he carried all this time, his eyes bloodshot and wild. What was happening to him?

"Where is it?!" The man roared, glaring at him balefully. His fingers twitched and he seemed to be in pain. Frantically, he searched through his pants and, when he found nothing in his pockets, his anger only grew worse. "WHERE IS IT?!"

His fingers elongated and hardened into razor-sharp claws as he charge at Izuku. Exhausted and still injured, he could only watch the man cover the distance between the two of them in a single jump with his blade-like fingers ready to chop him up.

"Don't just stand there!" Like a rocket, the jetpack wearing hero crashed into the man and stood in front of Izuku. He looked the green haired boy over and noticed that he looked a lot worse for the wear than at first glance. Damn it, he only finished dealing with his own share of rescue operations and his jetpack was running low on fuel. His taser guns also had only that much charge until they ran dry. "Any idea what he wants?"

"I think he is trying to get this," Izuku showed the white patch from before, his voice shaky and nervous. What was so important about this little rectangle that it drove the man into such state? "But I don't know what it is."

"I think I might have an idea," Buster muttered, trying not to give away his concern. The man was obviously a junkie. But, what's more important, he recognized the black tongue on the man. It couldn't be a coincidence. If that guy had some patch filled with Trigger, then things were bound to get ugly in no time. "I'll hold him off. You, run to safety."

"B-But..."

"Now!" He didn't have time to argue. While Trigger wore off quite fast, in almost every single case, there were some residual traces of it in the bloodstream. More than enough to give the significant boost in strength. "That's an order!"

Izuku followed it despite himself, stuffing the patch into his pocket and running away. His mind was now focused on getting to safety. Shutting out all and any other danger, he ran towards the relief zone in hopes of meeting someone who he could hand the patch of cloth over to.

He never saw the small tear in its corner of the patch.

HVH

"Well, things could be better."

Hizashi knew that his laughter sounded all kinds of forced and awkward. But damn if he didn't want to stop the silence that took over the room. It wasn't that he didn't understand the gravity of the situation but he would rather stop sulking and start analyzing the position they found themselves in.

"It certainly could," He should thank Miss Joke later. Heh, wasn't it ironic how the two of them were usually the ones to break the ice in such talks? The media and public always assumed both of them were the light-hearted jokesters of the hero groups while someone like Eraserhead took charge. "But they could be all much worse. Luckily, we suffered no casualties."

"You mean, on the side of civilians and heroes," Cementoss added, his expression conflicted and worried. Not that Hizashi could really blame the man for that. He was a great hero but, despite all the times he fought in battles, he still struggled with how much he valued the human's life. "Sadly, the same cannot be said for those who raided the city this night."

"Nothing we can do about it," Snipe said with cold tone, his expression unreadable but voice bearing no hostility. "Whatever stopped all of that madness pretty much fried the monsters' brains up or simply killed them."

Frank. But no less true. Whatever the cause behind, but approximately at the same time all the black monsters lost thier powers and beastly forms before falling half-dead all over streets and buildings. Some were unlucky to revert back into human forms during the battle when certain heroes took to... ultimate measures. The only person who was more or less unshaken was Endeavor. What a surprise...

"Any word from All Might or Hatsume-san?" Power Loader scratched the back of his neck, trying not to sound impatient. Or irritated. "I used some of my machines to analyze whatever we managed to salvage from the outbreak zone but my computers crashed. Turns out those little things had some kind of virus installed if anyone tried to break into their system."

Oh... Hizashi couldn't help but gulp and look away. When you had a mouth as big as his, you tended to learn a thing or two about pet peeves. Like, never offer Nedzu cheese or he will hunt you. Or touching any of the juice packets of Aizawa's in the fridge. Otherwise, he will destroy you. And, of course, don't mess with Power Loader's girlfriends (his tech). Just... don't.

"I am sure Hatsume-san will happily make it up to you," he tried to play it off cool, only a second later realizing what he just suggested. Even though the man's eyes were concealed behind his helmet, the mohawk-haired man could feel the icy glare on his body that could put out Endeavor's flames. Ouch. "W-Well, back to the topic, anything from the reports from civilians?"

"Actually," Nemuri adjusted her glasses - her actual glasses - to look over the stack of reports provided by the police officers and different heroes on site. "there was a boy who claimed to be in possession of something that one of reverted criminals seemed to be after. Buster hero suggested that it might be some improved version of Trigger."

Damn it. Not this shit again. Would it kill some crazy scientist to create something other than drugs that screwed them over?

"And?"

"Nothing," the woman sighed i disappointment. "the kid didn't look like he was folling around but the patch he gave one of the officers was nothing but a piece of cloth. No drug or anything dangerous or suspicious. Must have been shock."

Yeah. Not everyday that your city got attacked from the inside by a bunch of monsters.

"Other than that, we couldn't get anything concrete," Snipe continued, his own stack of reports now resting beside him. "However, I believe we should wait till Eraserhead and All Might arrive. They were among the group of heroes fighting the leaders of the entire operation so they could provide more information on what happened."

"This is exactly what is bothering me about the entire thing." All eyes turned to Blood King whose eyes were harder than steel, obviously deep in his own thoughts. "How the hell did these crooks get their hands on those nanobots in the first place?"

That was a good question, actually. Hatsume was a weird guy and a bit obssessive with technology but he wasn't a fool. You don't build your own company from the scratch by simply being smart. His security system was easily one of the most advanced ones and could detect a bunch of small-time crooks breaking in.

"They could have someone do it for them. With how ridiculous some Quirks can get, I wouldn't be surprised if one of them had some power to sneak into the building and escape. Not something new, if you ask me," Joke said with a shrug. It was true though. Quirks tended to range from the stuff from comic books to some quite ridiculous proportions. The idea of a Quirk that could help pull off a robbery of such level wasn't entirely impossible.

"Sure, maybe they got lucky or someone there had a very useful Quirk," Blood King agreed but his voice didn't lose in its suspicion and concern. "but doesn't anyone else find it strange that they managed to not only steal the data but also actually make something out of it?"

That... was a good point.

"As far as we know, none of the monsters had any particular talent in genetics, nanorobotics or any other science field for that matter," Some of them didn't even finish junior high school, for God's sake, and yet somehow they managed to make the prototype into working model in a spand of a few weeks? He called bullshit on that. "Plus, the entire thing just reeks off the setup."

"Someone trying to get rid of competition?"

"Worse," Aizawa entered the room, All Might and Endeavor right behind him. "Field test."

What?

"One of the laders, the man going by Rat, survived and told us everything." Endeavor said, his voice devoid of any humor. No doubt he was the one who got it out of the man. Despite the differences - a whole lot of them, actually - Hizashi had to admit he did begrudgingly respect the man for his effectiveness in such matters. "Turns out that they were nothing but test subjects. The man, known by the gang as Vice, was the supplier of nanobot patches. According to Rat, the patches gave significant boosts in all physical attributes as well as some... additional benefits."

That didn't sound good.

"What kind of benefits?"

"While with varying results, the nanobots were able to merge with various weapons. Or rather, as Hatsume-san explained, they 'memorized' the structure and then replicated it." Aizawa said as he placed a glass cylinder with the grey specks inside. "The later analysis showed that the nanobots were specifically designed to collect any DNA data from the host. That can only mean one thing."

It couldn't be any more obvious.

"This entire attack was just the test drive," Power Loader gasped, displaying more emotion than any of them ever saw him to. "But for what?"

"We don't know," All Might finally spoke, his expression all the more serious without that pearly white smile. "The possibilities are endless. It could be the demonstration for the black market. Or maybe the declaration of war. The ultimate goal of this Vice is irrelevant."

The Symbol of Peace slammed his fist into his palm, eyes blazing blue menacingly.

"What matters is that we are going to stop him."

To hear the powerful All Might say it so confidently with the dashing smile. That certainly sounded reassuring. But... How were they going to do this? Obviously, Rat and whoever else survived knew only as much as Vice allowed them to. And if the man was smart enough to alter the technology of such level, there was little hope he would be dumb enough to have the nanobots somehow tracked back to him.

They were in for some really stressful days.

"Let's get to work."

HVH

"Midoriya, are you alright?"

He wanted to say he wasn't but instead just nodded in response to the teacher's concern. He would rather deal with it during the lunch break rather than have the teacher send him to the nurse now. The rest of the class only exchanged hushed remarks as they gave him weird looks, ranging somewhere between suspicion, slight worry (though not for him, obviously) and the usual sense of superiority they always held in regards to him.

When Izuku got back home yesterday, he was exhausted beyond belief. He was in the middle of the streets when the monster started the attack. He ran and dodged out of the falling pieces and parts of buildings, barely avoiding getting crushed into paste. Then he came this close to death and only the lucky gift from above saved him from getting mauled by the black monster. It was just his luck that his parents weren't home.

If they ever heard of what happened, he would be grounded for life by dad. Or hugged to death by mom! He couldn't tell which one was worse though.

Still, as he changed into his sleeping wear and crashed onto his bed, the aspiring hero couldn't help his lips curling into the satisfied smile. Sure, he didn't defeat or even fight the monster. But he still helped two people. Not so bad for a Quirkless kid like him, right? If he managed to do that much, then maybe there was still some hope for him?

There were a lot of heroes who focused on helping civilians and providing relief after the battle. Sure, that was not as big as fights the combat heroes had but it was still the hero's job. The problem was that, in his excitement, he spent the whole night thinking about all of it and managed to get only two hours of sound sleep in.

RISE AND SHINE, YOUNG HEROOOOES!

As the familiar recording of his idol played over and over again on his alarm clock, Izuku felt like each and every syllable cut into his brain, clawing their way into the soft organ before scooping pieces out. Still sleepy, he tried to switch it off but the recording just stubbornly repeated itself time and time again. His patience was running thin, his headache pushing him to the breaking point. Then something completely unexpected happened. Something he was still wrecking his mind over.

RISE AND SHINE, YOUNG HER-

"Oh come on!" Normally, he valued all and any All Might exclusive merchandise as Holy Grail but his headache was seemingly growing worse with each second it played. He groaned in agitation before slamming his hand against the alarm clock in frustration. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea? All products from All Might's line were damn near indestructible!

He remembered how he prepared himself for the pain and would need to search for some bandages. However, he felt neither pain nor the slightest bit of discomfort. Rubbing his eyes, Izuku looked at his nightstand and... rubbed his eyes once again. When the impossible picture in front of him remained, he pinched himself just to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. Maybe he exaggerated when he called the merchandise indestructible but they didn't break so easily. And yet...

The proof was right here, right in front of him. A mess of bent and broken pieces of metal, the All Might bust shattered and broken. He would be frantically searching for glue all the while murmuring apologies to his hero if it were not how he felt right now. He looked at his arm, the one he smashed the alarm clock with.

Pushing the broken parts of his alarm clock into a trash bag, Izuku couldn't help but wonder how he managed to do this. Last time he checked, his punches were hardly strong enough to smash anything at all. As he took a look at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, he saw... nothing new or peculiar. Same skinny frame. Same pale skin. Same everything.

Then where did this strength come from?

That was the question he kept asking himself over the entire ride to school. There were numerous scenrios that could explain the earlier incident but each and every time he found some minor detail that made him doubt the idea and start all over. For all he knew, the alarm clock could be just a cheap replica and he was making a fuss over nothing. But still, there was something that kept bugging him about the whole thing that made him keep going. Continue searching for an answer.

Two classes in, and his symptoms got worse. He felt the strong fatigue and found it hard to even run one lap during the Gym class. Needless to say, his classmates found the display of his physical weakness an amusing sight. Surprisingly, Kacchan was one of the few who actually didn't see any merit in picking on him or even verbally as much as insulting him. Was it a pity? Or did he simply not care?

Honestly, as he took a pill provided by nurse, Izuku couldn't care either. All he wanted right now was to go home and rest until whatever bug he caught wore off. He had three more days until his parents returned and he would be better off healing now. Otherwise, he would be stuck at home for weeks!

"Oi, Midoriya!"

Oh no... Looking back, Izuku could only steel himself and try to act a calm as possible. Hanabira, despite his gentle name, was probably one of the nastiest pieces of work that Izuku was misfortune to know. It was not how powerful he was that guaranteed him such reputation. (Honestly, even though he was already in second year of high school, Kacchan could beat him up pretty easily.) It was how nonchalant and sneaky he was about his dealings.

Case in point.

"I heard you were going home early today," he smiled like a good-natured kid he was not. There was little doubt someone at school told him. Hanabira loved to have the other kids do his dirty work in exchange for writing off their debts or something of similar nature. "And I thought 'Hey, it's been a while since we went to arcade together!'. Friends should stick together, you know."

And pay for everything. That was unsaid but no less true, in Hanabira's eyes. Being his friend meant that, frankly, you were his wallet and slave. And, occassionally, a punching bag.

"I-I am really sorry," honestly, he wasn't. He hated the guy. Not because of how he treated him but rather how much pleasure he seemingly took in it. Humiliating and beating up others simply because he could? This guy was no better than some random villain. "But I am really sick and I-"

Hana didn't let him finish.

"Care to repeat that?" His voice was cold, eyes taunting and amused as Izuku nursed his cheek. He could already feel the bruise form on it and some blood in his mouth as well. The blue steel that coated the older guy's arm shone in the artifical light of the area under the bridge. "You seem healthy enough to me. Or are you saying I am a liar?"

Yes.

"N-No," he whispered shakily. Damn it, even when he wanted to, he couldn't push anything out of himself. He was so pathetic! "I-I am sorry."

The high schooler grinned and patted him on the head, not bothering to deactivate his Quirk.

"Now that's the spirit!" The way the guy pushed him forward made Izuku think of how a warden would lead the prisoner to the chair. "I knew I could rely on ya!"

As if he had a choice.

By the time they were done, though Hanabira was the only one enjoying his time, Izuku's wallet was pretty much empty. It was a good thing that he didn't take much with himself tough. Otherwise, the high schooler would milk more out of him.

"Ah, what a day!" The guy cheered, biting into the cheeseburger and gulping down soda drink. "You know what, we should do this every day! Sounds great, right?"

No, it didn't.

"Hey, look!" The guy pointed at the bright sign of the new shop on the street, licking his lips hungrily. It was a bar. An actual bar. "Let's go there!"

No.

"N-No," Even though it was shaky and unsure, he was quite proud of saying this. Not that it helped him much when Hanabira decided to remind him who was calling the shots. "Ow!"

The guy was strong. Unskilled and as stupid as a rock but strong. His punches hurt. To the point that Izuku felt like the brick wall punched him with all the might and rage of a bull with red blanket over its eyes.

"I didn't hear you well." He sneered before pulling back his fist. "Care to correct yourself?"

Izuku couldn't. He wouldn't. Even if he had to get beaten, he wouldn't. The silence and hard glare were enough of a sign for the bully. He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders as if saying 'what can you do then' before delivering the first punch. As the fist slammed into his solar plexus, Izuku felt

His prayers were answered.

Though soon he would grow to regret it.

"Well, well, well~"

His eyes widened and body froze in shock as he watched something appear behind Hanabira. The high schooler's reaction was no better than his, his skin growing pale and body twitching as he turned around. He only had enough time to gasp in surprise as the creature pulled him back, its green slimy hands and body trapping him inside its own body like a cocoon.

Hanabira screamed. It was the first time Izuku heard the older guy make such a sound. The screaming was soon muffled as the villain covered the bully's mouth, possibly starting to suffocate him. In a few minutes, the struggle ended and Hanabira was unconscious, his body no longer under his command.

The green spread and tightened around the bully's body, making itself into a more condensed piece of living armor. Large monstrous eyes bulged out of the head section, red irises unfocused only for a second before becoming filled with pure malice. White teeth appeared around the neck section, making the weird collar-like extension of the body. As the people around scattered with screams of panic and frantic noise, the villain turned to Izuku and grinned viciously, its abnormally large and square teeth glinting dangerously in the street lights.

"What do we have here?"

Run! His mind screamed at him. But his body didn't move an inch. You have to run!

The world around him turned into a blue before the sharp pain coursed from his back and through all of his body. It must have been all the shock and panic that only now he realized the monster threw him into the wall with all the strength of a truck. Stalking towards him like an apex predator, the villain licked his lips, its red eyes with sick yellow sclera promising him all the pain and trauma he could take. And then even more.

Shaking and limping, he tried to escape. But it only got an amused chuckle from the villain before Izuku felt the steel-coated hand wrap itself around his ankle.

He felt the current of air brush his hair, the monster's grip on his ankle vice and strong. The momentary surprise and confusion were replaced by the dull pain as he was slammed into the ground. Izuku had little time to recover before he let out the strangled cry as his ankle bone was crushed in the man's steel hand. Clutching it and fighting back tears, Izuku could only look up at the monster.

He was smiling. It was a genuine smile of someone who enjoyed the way things were.

"Heh, you sure make a nice beating boy," The monster chuckled before cracking its knuckles. "This one has a really nice Quirk. I wonder just how much I can destroy with it."

It sounded so innocent... Surprisingly, there were only slight traces of malice as if the man was just a child discovering his Quirk for the first time. But then Izuku looked into those eyes and saw it all. He saw the pure desire for destruction. So pure and simple that it seemed almost natural for this man. As if wrecking havoc and murdering people was as necessary for him as air.

"Well, it was fun beating the shit out of you, but I have the name to make for myself," the monster chuckled as he stepped away from the boy. He would make as much noise as needed before some good two shoes arrived to stop him. Step by step, he would latch onto stronger and stronger heroes. He would destroy everything until he was strong enough to finally take control of All Might and then... Then the real fun would beg- "Uh?"

He felt something stop him. Looking down, he saw the green haired shrimp he used for testing the body. What the hell did he want from him?

"Let... him go..."

Eh? It took a few seconds to understand what the brat wanted. And yet he still couldn't see why. If anything, this little shit should bow to him for saving him from that bully. Heck, the brat would end up dead sooner or later so he was doing the spineless piece of shit a solid one here. And yet he wanted his own bully to be freed? What a joke. No wonder he was basically a slave for the bully brat.

"Can it, kid," he wasn't one for niceties. One quick kick to the chin and another stomp on the head and the shitty idiot would go down. Only he didn't, instead his grip grew stronger. "Tch. I said..."

The brat closed his eyes but didn't release the grip. Welp, his funeral then.

"-let go!"

A sickening crunch was music to his ears. He must have dislocated the kid's jaw pretty hard. Maybe even crack his cheek bones or some other shit. Well, he did try to let the kid walk away. Not his fault the damn idiot wanted to play a hero. Should have thought better than messing with him.

"You shouldn't have done that, kid."

As the man delivered a strong and vicious kick to his stomach, Izuku had only that much strength left in his weak body to look in his direction. His vision was blurry and black spots started forming on the edges of it. His jaw was pulsing and aching, the metallic taste of his blood pooling in his mouth. He reached out towards the man, his mind already fading and not realizing just how pointless it was.

He tried standing up but the villain decided to beat him down again.

"You can't do shit, you little bastard!"

Why did I even try?

He was weak. He was pathetic. He was a nobody.

"What can you even do?

"What can you even do?"

The question, so sharp and hurtful, rang in his head over and over as the man gloated and laughed at his helplessness. His weakness.

He could get hurt. He could fail. He could make a fool out of himself.

But he could never be a hero.

If only I could... reach that man...

If only I could... do anything...

If only I... wasn't so pathetic and weak. He would do anything to be able to save was no other way this day would end. He already could picture himself getting pierced with the monster's steel-coated fist and dying on the streets. The best he could do was brace himself and die with dignity. Izuku closed his eyes, the world around becoming dark and cold. All sounds died, his mind fading further into nothing. Lose my mind. Break my body. Sell my soul. If only I could be a hero... Then no matter what the cost was... I would... I would gladly...

"TIME TO DIE!"

I would do anything.

And so, the darkness consumed him.

"Hm?"

The fist didn't connect. Or rather, it just didn't feel like it had. The monster looked at the boy in surprise, feeling something protect him from his improvised weapon. Was he wearing some kind of bulletproof vest or something? No... The vests weren't so thin. They didn't... move? He pushed his fist further, trying to tear through the protective wear but to no avail.

"Just what the fuc-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. As he was pushed several meters back, the monster could only nurse his cheek in shock at what happened. That... actually hurt. Not that his Quirk didn't allow him to feel the pain of those who he controlled but he usually could easily ignore it. Hmmm, now that was interesting.

"So you finally show what you can do, eh?" Maybe he would take over the boy once he beat him up enough. He certainly showed some promise if he could take on the full force of the enhanced Steel Fist. "Tired of getting kicked to the curb?"

No response followed. Smudge felt the feeling of unease grow in his stomach as he looked at the boy's form just standing there. There was something different about him... Something he couldn't quite put his finger on. He didn't pay much mind to it though. If he wanted to, he could just easily escape any moment he wanted and no matter how much the kid tried, he wouldn't be able to kill him. Not when his body was nothing more than the living wave of slime.

"Let's see what you got!"

The boy vanished right in front of his eyes. The momentary surprise proved to be a serious mistake on his part as he felt the steel bar smash against his jaw. Well, technically, not his jaw, but that still hurt like a bitch. Where did the brat even find it that fast?

"You little-!" Another quick blow to his face cut him short, making his blood boil with rage. Willing his hands to become steel, he grabbed the kid by the collar and threw him into the wall, not caring how much force he put behind the throw. Sure, it would be bad if the brat died before he got to take revenge on him but what could you do?

That little shit shouldn't have pissed him off.

"Tch, good riddance," he massaged his jaw, assessing the damage. Yup, broken. Good thing it wasn't his body that would end with all the damage. As he prepared to leave, Sludge noticed that something felt odd about the current situation. It had been good ten minutes or so since he attacked. Surely, some hero should have arrived by now. And just how silent the street was...

Something was wrong.

Another mixture of roar and cry alerted him of the danger. Annoyance and frustration coursed through his body, teeth grinding and eyes burning. Did that kid still have some fight in him?

Before he could yell out another insult, something him like a freight train. And damn did it hurt!

He could feel some ribs crack all over, the small bile ofblood pushing its way outside. His eyes, which were locked onto the wall he threw the brat at, widened as he realized that the little shit wasn't there. Slowly, he lowered his gaze at the object that pinned him to the wall and couldn't help but wish he didn't. Cold sweat ran down his brow, his mind not quite comprehending what he was looking at.

It was still that kid from before. But something was off about him. His skin was ashen gray, dry and crumbling. His clothing was shredded and soaked in his own blood. Honestly, the brat looked more dead than alive, nothing short of a walking corpse!

The boy raised his head and slowly opened his eyes.

Two orbs of pure black greeted him. They were hollow and lifeless, not even the shred of thought behind. For several long haunting moments, the kid kept staring creepily into his eyes. And then, as if a switch was flipped in his head, those eyes sharpened and the unfocused expression on the boy's face turned into an ugly snarl.

With the growl, the boy grabbed him by the collar and threw him onto the ground. Without giving him any time to recover, the brat jumped at him, pinning him against the ground. He could see some weird smoke coming from the brat's body. As the kid's hands wrapped around his neck, he knew that it would be the end of the line for him. One of the biggest downsides of his Quirk was that, should he ever merge with the host deep enough, it would take time to get detached from him. Abandoning half-processed victim was easy. But with all the usage of the Quirk, he would need around ten minutes ro so to get free. The time that he simply didn't have.

So he watched in silent horror as the boy started turning into something else entirely.

Starting from his chest, the black ooze spread all across his flesh. The wounds were sealed, not even a drop of blood making it through thye material. The gray sand-like skin was hidden underneath the thing layer of pitch black, almost as if it was his new skin. As the black mass spread up to his head and then covered his entire face, Sludge couldn't help but whisper a question. His voice shook with so many emotions - anger, shock, fear - as he choked out the words:

"What are you?"

"What am I?"

He was Midoriya Izuku. A fourteen year old student, one year away from graduating his junior high school. He liked heroes and always wanted to be one. But he was also a Deku, a good for nothing outcast. He was born Quirkless and couldn't be a hero. But he wasn't going to let that fact stop him. No matter how many people laughed at him or looked down at him, he would keep going!

The happy memories he shared with his parents brought a smile to his face. All thosee times when they encouraged him to pursue his dreams and aspirations... All the speeches so many heroes gave about the value of hard work and drive... It was his hope. His dream. Everything and all that kept him going despite what the world said.

This is what he felt here.

"... Then what am I?"

He was also Midoriya Izuku. Or, at least, he was pretty sure he was. He still had the same memories like him. The same aspirations and dreams and hopes... But his were crushed. The memories the second voice held were far from happy, the episodes of humiliation and abuse at the hands of his classmates replaying over and over in his mind as he reached towards the voice.

It was his anger. His frustration and every single dark thought that resided in the back of his mind. Every single time he wished he could get revenge on Kacchan and his lackeys... Every single time he felt frustrated with his own powerlessness... Every single fucking time the world reminded him how he could only dream of being a hero... All of it... It all was here as well.

"Then what are we?"

Both voices spoke at the same time, the quiet and loud, the timid and angry, the good and evil mixing together. The darkness that kept him - both of them blind - vanished, two figures staring at each other. Both of them were perfect replicas of each other, though only in body and face. As if the darkness kept their knowledge locked, the moment they saw each other, each of them spoke.

"You are what we want to be." The version of Izuku, dressed in torn and dirty replica of All Might suit, smiled dryly. There was no malice in his voice, however. Just dryamusement. Behind the pale green strands of unkept hair, his eyes, dull green and yet so sharp, looked straight at the bright figure of his reflection. "The bright and powerful hero everyone can rely on. The one who can stand next to All Might and shine just as bright."

The figure in All Might Suit nodded, his smile both happy and yet sad at the same time.

"And you are what we so desperately want to hide from everyone." His bright image contrasted with the solemn look his eyes held. His voice was nervous, concerned and detached all at the same time. "The little kid who hides beneath his dreams and delusions... Too scared to face the reality and move on. Too hesitant and anxious. Someone who could never be a hero. Someone who knows it all too well."

The heavy silence hung over them.

"Please..."

Both Midoriyas looked around as the new voice - this one much more distant and faint - shook the walls. The man... The villain that took control of Hanabira... It was that man!

"What is going on?"

"Look!"

Both of them saw the man, struggling to breathe as two hands - their hands - kept choking him.

"S-Stop...!"

"We need to help him!" The bright hero was about to move when he noticed that he - as well as his twin - were trapped. The black ozze coiled and wrapped itself around their bodies, making it impossible to do anything but watch. "What is going on?"

The black spread, devouring everything around. More and more of the world was soon shrouded in the haunting pitch black. Both sides of Midoriya fought against the restraints even as they had only their heads free from the shadow. Both gritted their teeth in frustration, thie efforts futile and hopes crushed.

"Please..."

The memories - both good and bad - flowed in quick succession. Was it them watching their life before they took another man's? If so, it was quite the cruel trick the fate decided to play. Seeing something you had... and then robbing another person of it.

To their common surprise, they watched the green peel off the head, the bully's tearful and broken expression looking at them.

"Save... me... Mi... do.. riya...!"

Something snapped inside of them. As the darkness crawled towards their eyes, all the rest already consumed, both parts of the boy fought against it with all their might. They wouldn't take life. They wouldn't become a killer!

Because I...

... and always will be...

The bright light shone from both sides, the brilliant white tearing the dark apart and turning the world around them just the same.

As the black skin peeled itself off of him, he dropped on his knees, exhausted but victorious. A small smile spread across his lips as he looked into Hanabira's eyes.

"Midoriya Izuku."

WOHOOOO! 15K+ words!

Guys, PLEASE, tell me should I stick to longer chapters or the shorter ones? Shorter are faster to write but the longer ones let me explore and show a bit more. I need to hear your opinion on this one.

EVERYONE, reading this, I am really sorry for starting over but I felt like this version was much better planned and written than the first one. Those who commented before and liked the previous version, please give your feedback on this one. I know, reviewing the story over from the first chapter may seem stupid but I poured my all soul into this and want to know if this is an actual improvement from the original.

ANY and ALL feedback is appreaciated.

Until next time!