To see him for who he is (not by his lack of quirk)

5- The one Stain acknowledged

CW: mention of death, mental problems

It's scary, how easily a human can die.

Almost too easily.

Iguchi Shuuichi had almost died multiple times, all on different occasions. Shocking, yes? No, no really. That's what it means to be a villain, so he had expected this, but that didn't make the experience any better. Had anything went wrong in those moments, he wouldn't be alive right now.

The thought of that shakes him to his core.

It's terrifying how easy he could've died. One wrong move, and it would be all over for him. Granted, he's a gecko, so his agility helped a little with his chance of survival, but still. A near death experience was never pleasant.

He don't think it ever will.

He's used to near death experiences, and really, that's pretty shitty. It's pretty fucked up. No one should get used to that, but he is. For others, especially those who just became a villain, not so much. And that was to be expected.

What many new villains don't know is that the lair where all the villains lies, aka The Underground, isn't generous. Many aren't going to be sympathetic and help those who are in the same shoes. Some may be, but don't get fooled. When you're a villain, you have to find a way to tend to yourself alone, otherwise you're only going to get used and then get thrown away.

Or even worse, get tricked and then robbed of everything you have. Pride, wealth, power. Everything, until you have nothing left.

While the underground is the place for the abandoned, it is also a place where the most powerful villains are in. It's a place filled with cruelty and suffering. It's a zone where the laws don't apply as long as you're not caught.

Many have taken advantage of that. Even heroes. I mean, who wouldn't?

It is an unsafe territory to be in, but do it right, and you might find yourself being happy there. Well, as happy as one could get living there.

Shuuichi wouldn't recommend it though.

Some sees The Underground as a way to make connections or get information (mostly heroes), but it's much more than that. It's much more dangerous than what one would think.

It's also a battlefield.

It's a fight between all those involved: villains, vigilantes, heroes, info brokers. It doesn't play favorites. It's a fight to see who reigns on top, who rules, and who dies at the bottom. It's basically like a survival tournament.

As a villain, Shuuichi is a participant of that tournament. Many had died, and only a few survived. Some were lucky to avoid death. Some serve the powerful to survive. Some don't care for power, and just did their own thing.

Usually, those kind of people are the ones who don't survive until the end.

Either you serve someone, you get strong enough to survive on your own, or you join a group.

If you're not strong, then you're a goner. This is basically a requirement if you want to live (or stay for a short period of time) there.