"You're literally mumbling random numbers," Shigabitch rasped. "It's annoying."

"Oh sorry, I just mumble sometimes," Izuku said as he turned his head to look at Shigabitch. "It's a habit."

"Well get over it," Shigabitch said. Izuku dropped his head for a second before turning back in his chair.

It was quiet, and Izuku was about to zone out before the silence was broken.

"You're stressed," Shigabitch said. Izuku lazily shrugged.

"Isn't everyone?" Izuku said. "But... I keep telling myself to not worry, that I'll be great one day without the help of my mother but I just can't get her face out of my head..."

"Wow, you really don't like hurting people, huh?" Shigabitch asked and Izuku shrugged once again. "Okay, listen, while you're here, there's no time for being sad at the thought of hurting someone else. Sometimes it's a necessity. Sometimes hurting someone else, in turn, helps you."

"So you're saying I should feel glad that I hurt my mom?" Izuku asked and turned his head halfway to Shigabitch.

"Yes. Yes, because sacrifices have to be made sometimes," Shigabitch said. "Maybe you don't fully understand that right now but in time you will. Promise me, I was just like you about 14 odd years ago."

"Thank you... Shigaraki," Izuku said. Izuku fully turned his head to look at him.

"Don't thank me, I'm just stating the obvious," Shigaraki said. Izuku's lips twitched up and he turned back away from him.

Maybe Shigaraki was right, in a sense. Yes, sacrifices must be made but never too brutal. Izuku supposed he could eventually get over his mother's tired and distraught face, and maybe today wasn't the day he would, but eventually... eventually, like Shigaraki said, he'll understand. He'd have to if he wanted a good future.

But the fact that Shigaraki said that sometimes you have to hurt people kind of made him feel a sort of guilt. Yes, knew what he was getting into but fuck he didn't really want to hurt people. Did he? No, that would make him a bad person, but then, All For One didn't seem like a bad person and Izuku knew in his heart that All For One had hurt people. Taking quirks. That must've hurt people, maybe not as a physical pain- or maybe yes a physical pain, he didn't know for sure since he's never gotten his quirk stolen- but emotionally yes. It had to have messed with their heads, made them insane, maybe- or put them in a depression, perhaps.

But All For One was giving Izuku the world and Izuku couldn't dwell on All For One's past right now. No, that was absolutely not a choice. He had to focus on the future in front of him and make sure that he could surpass even the greatest hero in existence. He had to surpass his own idol.

'Sorry, All Might, but I think it's time for someone else to shine,' Izuku thought.

Yes, that seemed like the right decision. All Might had been the best for far too long- it was time for someone to take his place, and who better than Midoriya Izuku himself? No one, that's who because Izuku was going to show the world that you don't have to be a hero to lead a successful world. You just had to be smart. You had to know what to do and how to get to your desired goal.

He could do this. And once he starts training his quirk, he'll already be ready to start leaving a mark. The world would know his name. Some would be saying it in fear, others in pride. Either way, it made Izuku's heart swell to know that he was going to make this world his and only his.

It might take a while but he'll get there. All good things come with patience. Yes, he'll just have to be patient. He'll shape the world to love him, and maybe he felt a bit of satisfaction of having some hate him, too. It must be tiring having everyone love you all the damn time, so maybe he could have at least one person hate him. And who better than All Might himself? Obviously All Might wouldn't like the title of being the Symbol Of Peace taken from him when... when... well, that's where Izuku stopped knowing where his plan would carry to. Did he want to cause chaos? Maybe just a little bit. Or did he want to make a world where people didn't need to worry about the corruption that ran in the streets? Corrupt heroes, corrupt cops, murderous villains. Yeah, that too. Maybe he could do both if he played his cards right.

All this thinking was giving him a headache. Groaning, he got up out of his chair and turned to see that Shigaraki had left him at some point during his thinking.

Izuku brought a hand up to his head to try and ease the headache but it didn't work. Water might, however. So he sauntered over to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. Like his guess, it did, thankfully. Izuku took in the calming sensation that rushed through him as the water trickled down his throat. Water proved to be a great stress reliever. He laughed, because of all things, he didn't expect something as simple as water to help him calm down.

He had had a long day today, yet it was only three in the afternoon. He sighed, it seemed as if his days were just getting more and more stressful. But he knew that he had to stay here because going anywhere else was unacceptable. So, he decided he wasn't going to complain, no, he was going to stay and become amazing.

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