Katsuki, Eijiro, and Shoto waited outside the hospital after the sun had set, as the lampposts and lights to the entrance of the hospital became brighter. While Shoto and Eijiro stood at the entrance staring, Katsuki leaned on the lamppost while tapping his foot on the ground growing a bit impatient.
"I... wonder what Yaoyorozu decided," Eijiro said in an attempt to break the silence.
"She better say yes," Katsuki grumbled while crossing his arms.
"In the end, it's up to her," Shoto sighed. "No matter how we–"
Suddenly, the doors to the hospital opened as the trio looked towards the hospital door to see Yaomomo exiting from the building with a small bandage on her forehead... and behind her was Izuku.
Izuku's eyes immediately noticed Katsuki's presence as the two stared at each other.
"Well, Izuku's probably just as hurt as you are. Who knows? Maybe you two will rescue my son from the clutches of those good-for-nothing villains." Katsuki let out a tch and cursed the woman who was probably laughing at his situation right now... then again, Akira didn't mean her statement literally.
The duo approached them as Katsuki watched from the sidelines. "Yaoyorozu... what's your answer?"
Yaomomo pursed her lips at the question, as if she wasn't even sure of her own answer. "I–"
"Wait!"
The group immediately flinched at the voice as they said Iida walking towards them with a blank expression.
"Iida..." Izuku murmured the boy's name.
"Why?" Iida said in a tone mixed with disappointment and anger. "Why you guys, of all people? The ones who stopped me when I was reckless, moved by personal reasons. The two, who received amnesty along with me... Why are you trying to make the same mistake I made? It's too much!"
"What are you talking about?" Eijiro said as he tried to approach Iida while Katsuki did the same, but both were stopped by Shoto who grabbed them by the shoulder. Katsuki let out a tsk and shook the hand off him while going back to his usual spot.
"We're still minors," Iida argued while trying to keep calm. "And to say U.A. is in a tight spot as it is... Do you understand who will take responsibility for your actions?!"
"Iida!" Izuku approached the blue-haired boy. "We get it! We don't think rules should be bro–" Katsuki widened his eyes along with the rest of the group as they witnessed Izuku get punched in the face by Iida. He wanted to enjoy the moment but he was starting to get impatient at how long they were taking.
"It's hard for me too!" Iida shouted. "Of course I'm worried! I'm the class rep! I worry about my classmates! Not just [y/n]! When I saw your injuries, I was reminded of my brother in his bed! What if you end up like him because of your reckless actions."
Izuku stood frozen as he attempted to process what just happened.
"Are you saying you don't give a damn about how much I worry?" Iida grabbed him by the shoulders prompting the green-haired boy to face him. "Are you saying you don't care about my feelings?"
"Iida," Shoto called his name catching his attention. "It's not like we intend to face them head-on and win. We want to save him without fighting."
"We're planning a covert operation!" Eijiro agreed. "That's the only way us students can fight without breaking the rules!"
"I trust Todoroki," Yaomomo said. "But just in case, so I can stop them, I plan on joining them as well."
"Yaoyorozu!" Iida looked at the blonde who maintained his blank expression and looked at the ground.
"I... don't know, either," Izuku mumbled. "I was told he was still in my reach, So I couldn't just sit here and do nothing... I can't help thinking that I want to save him."
The group was suddenly silent as Iida sighed. "We can't agree on this, huh?"
The next words that came out of Iida's mouth surprised even Katsuki.
"Take me with you then."
——————————————————
[y/n] stared at the ground with a look devoid of emotions and his thoughts run rampant. Two sides of his mind at war with each other... both with equally sounding sides.
Think rationally. Those files may be fake, a reason to give in.
Give in?! The Commission killed people! And those were only dates from one year. How many else could they have done?!
It is not wise to act on only emotions. That's not how we work.
Screw how we work! We need to do something about this. We need more information.
I agree, but we cannot ask them for more information. They're an unreliable source.
[y/n] put the conversation on hold as he was thinking about his previous question. No better time to have an existential crisis than being kidnapped.
"What is he doing?" Toga asked as she rested her head on the countertop while looking at the restrained boy.
"Probably thinking about joining us," Magne replied while shrugging her shoulders. "Hell should I know."
Toga pouted at the answer but let the boy be alone with his thoughts as he ignored everybody in the room and began to ask himself, what was a hero?
A hero is someone who helps people.
The most basic definition of a hero, yet was that really the answer? Then wouldn't the title of hero be put on doctors and firefighters?
A hero is someone who inspires the hearts of the people.
A lesson that he learned from Mode's internship, but by that definition then villains could also be heroes. After all, the league was formed by Stain's ambitions.
A hero risks their lives for people.
[y/n] squinted his eyes at that statement. It felt true but... it was incomplete. If heroes were defined as people risking their lives for others then there wouldn't be much heroes in the first place...
The boy sighed. The concept of a hero was such a blur with the concept of a villain.
Why are we even doing this again?
Distraction from them. Reevaluating our morals and ideals can help us find a solution to our problems.
[y/n] hated his logical mind for spitting facts, but the topic was going nowhere.
Look at the question from a different angle.
Different angle?
Why do you want to become a hero in the first place?
——————————————————
Katsuki let out a quick sneeze as the group started walking towards the street.
"Midoriya..." Izuku turned around as Iida looked at him with regret. "I apologize for hitting you." Iida then bowed to the green-haired boy.
"Seriously Iida," Yaomomo faced the blue-haired boy. "Your reason for joining us is not very believable."
"It's fine Iida! Don't worry!"
"I'm joining you because I don't agree with your actions," Iida said while fixing his glasses. "If I see even the slightest chance of a fight occurring, I will make you return immediately. In other words, I'll be your 'watchman' if you will!"
"Watchman Iida," Todoroki whispered as everyone immediately turned to the person in the group most likely to start a fight.
"I don't give a shit what the plan is," Katsuki said while walking down the street. "Whether I have to beat up a hundred villains or none, I'm getting him back."
The group stared at the blonde's walking figure before he turned around with an angry look on his face. "What the fuck do you think your doing?! We have a dumbass to save!" Katsuki immediately turned around and continued walking and grumbling. "Standing around... wasting time..."
Yaomomo sighed as she followed the blonde while bringing out a receiver for the tracker. "The same goes for me, [y/n]'s rescue is a job for the pros. Objectively, there's no need for any of you to do anything about this. However, this is a compromise because... I understand your feelings."
"Yeah, whatever," Katsuki grumbled as the rest of the group agreed on the statement.
The group eventually walked to the train station as then followed Yaomomo to their destination and continued with their plan. Katsuki stared out the window, reevaluating the plan... which was completely unrealistic.
He wanted to save [y/n] with all he had, but a rescue mission without combat? Only a fool would think of an idea like that, and Bakugo Katsuki was no fool. He could only hope as his classmates were stupid enough to continue with the plan despite the risks, because as much as he hated to admit it.
He needed them.
—————————————————————
[y/n] took a deep breath to calm himself as the villains were watching Shigaraki flip through the channels of the TV.
"Are you sure it's that one?" Toga asked in a bored tone while watching the colors of the tv flicker and change as it was being switched from channel to channel.
"I'm trying dammit," Shigaraki answered.
"I think you skipped it," Spinner answered.
He was definitely having a existential crisis right now and these fuckers were just watching TV. He's been overthinking the situation for about three hours already and while he doesn't have any of the answers he was looking for, all sides agreed on one thing.
He needed to get the hell out of here.
Lucky for him, this wasn't the first time he needed to reschedule an existential crisis.
[y/n] looked around for any tools that he could use to help him but nothing was in reach. He was handcuffed and tied to the chair with chains by the stomach, rendering his mobility useless with the exception of moving his arms and legs around.
Sighing, [y/n] stared at his hands and wished he had a more offensive quirk that could help him fight in this situation. Something that didn't require ink and paper...
The boy's eyes immediately went to his thumb as he got a stupid idea. [y/n] sighed again since he wished he didn't have to do stupid ideas to get out of these stupid situations but he took what he could get.
"There it is!" Twice shouted as everyone's attention went to the TV.
"And now, here's a clip from U.A's public apology in a press conference."
[y/n] spotted the TV showing Principal Nezu, the two advisers of Class 1A and his father wearing matching black suits and facing the media. The boy tilted his head at the sight of his father since he wasn't even involved in the situation... wait.
Stupid. You're kidnapped. He's probably there to make sure that it doesn't go as bad. That made more sense. The sight of his father gave the boy mixed feelings, but the look on his face was evident that he was worried.
"We want to apologize for allowing 27 of our students from the hero course to be injured because of our unpreparedness and for causing unease in our society due to our negligence in taking the proper precautions as a place of raising heroes," Aizawa said as the educators bowed to the media where flashes from the camera were seen. "We are deeply sorry."
"I'm from Yomiuri TV," one reporter introduced himself. "Students at U.A. now have had four encounters with villains since the beginning of the year. This time, even students were injured. How did you explain this to their families, and what kind of countermeasures are you taking now?"
[y/n] widened his eyes at the question. U.A has been saying their stance on the problem since the sports festival in relations to these connections. That question was basically a trap being used to paint them as the bad guys.
"Increasing surveillance in the surrounding area and reviewing the school's security measures, firmly guaranteeing the students' safety," Nezu answered the question. "This is what we told them."
"Eh?" A reporter stood up, catching the attention of the crowd. "Well, I for one don't believe in that statement, however, I do have a question. I represent Uwasa Magazine."
Fuck! [y/n] immediately recognized the name of that magazine from his internship. That name was on Emiko's blacklist since the company only produced tabloids, rumors, and leaks.
"My question is about the kidnapping of one of your students, Takeru [y/n]," the woman continued. "His kidnapping has stirred multiple discussions on a variety of social media platforms due to his large presence."
"Please get to the point," Keiji said with a calm voice, but it was obvious that he was absolutely pissed at the lady for bring it up since he clenched his fists.
"Takeru Keiji. If given the choice, would you transfer your child to another school?" The question was a complete landmine. Not only was he being asked as an educator of the institution, but he was also being asked as a father of one of the victims. Only the sound of cameras flashing could be heard as Keiji struggled to find an answer, yet his silence was already one to begin with. Despite not being in the same room, he could feel the media stirring and the tension rising.
"I..." Keiji coughed into his hand as he stood up to answer the question. "I only wish for the best for him as both a father and an educator. I've seen him grow since he was a child and am proud for who he is today."
Keiji stared into one of the cameras as his face was on the screen. "Whether he wants to stay in U.A or not is completely up to him, and no matter what decision he makes, I will support him. That is all."
Keiji sat down as the reporters continued to ask their questions. The answer was completely ambiguous and somehow managed to answer the question while avoiding it. Mom's probably helping them.
[y/n] stared at the screen, wantign to listen to the rest of the interview. Unfortunately, the TV shut off.
"It's so strange isn't it?" Shigaraki said as he turned to face the boy in question. "Why are heroes being criticized? They were just off the mark in dealing with this. Because their job is to protect you? But everyone makes a mistake or two. Are they supposed to be perfect?" Heroes are never perfect. That was the lesson he's learned after reading those files. "Nowadays, heroes are so uptight, aren't they, Takeru?"
"The moment heroes start being compensated to protect people, they stop being heroes," Spinner answered. "That is Stain's teaching."
That wasn't true... was it?
Heroes need to be compensated for what they do, risking their lives and helping people.
But they should never be put on a pedestal.
Of course not, but doctors do the same thing, and get compensated for it.
Think about it. If heroes weren't compensated for what they do, what would happen?
He already knew the answer to that. Just like every job in the world, the supply of heroes would take a significant toll.
"This strange system that transforms people's lives into money and glory, and a society that defends this system with rules, citizens that blame the losers instead of encouraging them... our war is to question this," Shigaraki said to him.
[y/n] stared at him with a blank expression, whilst taking in his words as two sides of him argued in his mind.
"What does it mean to be a hero? What is justice? We'll make people decide for themselves whether this society is truly just." A red eye peeked from the gaps of the hand and stared at him. "And we intend to win this fight. You agree, don't you?"
The room was suddenly silent as [y/n] felt that all eyes were on him.
"Dabi, release him."
"Huh?" Dabi turned to Shigaraki with a confused expression as he looked back at [y/n], studying him, before turning back to the blue-haired villain. "Won't he just try to escape?"
"It's fine," Shigaraki waved it off. "We should treat him as an equal. He's a new recruit. Besides, you can tell whether or not you can win in a situation like this. Am I right, U.A student?"
Dabi looked at him again analyzing his features before looking to the villain beside him. "Twice, release him."
"Why me? I don't want to."
"Release him."
"Oh man..." Twice grumbled as he walked towards [y/n] to undo the locks on his chair.
"I do apologize for our methods," Mr. Compress said from the corner of the room. "But please understand, we're not just a mob that enjoys crimes. We didn't kidnap you just because."
Twice went to the front of the boy to undo his cuffs as [y/n] closed his fists and let the villain do his job.
"Everyone here, the situations differ, but we all have suffered bound by people, rules, and heroes," Shigaraki said as he stood up and slowly approached the boy while [y/n] stared at the wrists that were now free of their shackles.
[y/n] looked up to face Twice and gave him a small smile, to which the villain seemed to appreciate. "Hey... you're actually kinda cu–"
The villains in the room didn't even see what happened as one moment [y/n] was smiling the next he was staring daggers at them while a knife against Twice's throat.
"W-Where did you get that!" Twice shouted and attempted to move but [y/n] just brought the knife closer to his neck to the point where it was creating tears in his costume.
Equals? Recruit? [y/n] almost chuckled at the thought of those words. In fact, he did. A silent snort followed up by a chuckle was the only sound heard in the room, as the villains tried to think of ways to subdue the boy without any casualties. At that moment, it was almost impossible to tell who was the villain in that scenario.
Maybe [y/n] shared some sentiments with the League. Maybe he also viewed the system as corrupt and wanted it to crumble before his very eyes. But working with them? The same people who injured his friends and hurt his family? The same people who threatened him at every cornered and ruined his shot at having a normal school life? He'd rather chew off his own skin, in fact...
[y/n] gave another smile to the league as he showed them his other hand while keeping the knife close against the villain. Blood dripped from his thumb down the palm as the villains seemed to understand the situation.
"He's dangerous..." Toga said in a dreamy voice while staring intently at the blood dripping from the boy's hands.
Hell yeah.
"You know very well where you stand," Magne said in a nervous voice.
Do I?
"No, he's an idiot," Dabi pointed out.
Agreed.
"You should've at least pretended you wanted to join, even if you weren't going to," Mr. Compress agreed. "You made a mistake."
Did I?
As much as [y/n] knew he was at a disadvantage, he currently had the leisure of making the first move. The League couldn't do anything as long as he had a knife against the throat of one of their comrades. As much as he wanted to explain that he would never, in a million years, join this shit club, he couldn't talk. So he did the next best thing, which was to give them a bloody middle finger to their offer.
[y/n] sensed an incoming fight as a few of them got into what he assumed was a fighting position. They were all stopped as Shigaraki held out his hand. "Don't touch him... any of you. This one is a valuable piece."
The boy maintained his position as he pressed the knife against Twice's throat as the villain in his grasp made no sudden movements. He wasn't gonna kill him exactly... but his dad did teach him where to slice to immobilize an opponent without actually killing them. Though, that was more of a last resort type of thing.
"I wish you could've listened to me," Shigaraki maintained a calm composure. "I thought you and I could understand each other... but it seems I don't have a choice."
[y/n] tensed up a bit at the choice of words.
"The heroes said they were going to continue investigating us. I don't have time to sit around and convince you." Shigaraki turned to the TV that seemed to have turn on by itself. "Sensei, lend me your power."
Sensei? The word suddenly clicked in his head as he remembered their first fight from the USJ incident. He was too naive and crazy to have ambitions as high as that, even All Might had pointed it out. Which meant that he was simply following orders.
"What's going on? He hasn't weakened at all... did he lie to me?"
"Kurogiri, Compress. Put him to sleep again," Shigaraki ordered the two.
"What about me?!" Twice shouted.
"Calm down," Mr. Compress said as he made no sudden movements and slowly walked towards the boy. "Can't believe he's so bad at listening. I'm almost impressed."
[y/n] slowly dug the knife down to the neck of the costume revealing skin as it temporarily stopped the villain in his tracks. Shit. Ok, I can't die which is great but I can't stop them forever. I need a fucking pl–
*Knock, Knock, Knock*
Everyone suddenly looked at the back door at the random noise that interrupted the moment. "Hello, this is Pizza-la Kamino."
No one seemed to move in that instance as they were still confused. Suddenly, the wall to the left of the room was destroyed as All Might appeared causing a pile of debris to fall and scatter the villains nearby.
"What the?!"
"Kurogiri! Gate!" Shigaraki shouted at the sight of the pro-hero as [y/n] kicked Twice off him and took a defensive stance with knife in hand.
"Pre-emptive binding!" A man wearing a dark blue body suit and a wooden helmet, who [y/n] immediately recognized as Kamui Woods, encased the villains in wooden branches from his arm, effectively immobilizing them. "Lacquered Chain Prison!"
"A tree?" Dabi said in an annoyed tone as a blue fire began being produced by his body. Faster than [y/n] could react, a flash of yellow immediately knocked Dabi out by kicking him on the head.
"Hmph, Don't be impatient," Gran Torino said to the unconscious villain. "It'd be better for you to stay put."
"Just what I'd expect from a skilled young hero, Kamui Woods! And a veteran, faster than the eyes can see, Gran Torino!" All Might said he stared down the villains. "There's no where to run, League of Villains, because we are here!"
"Right after that press conference," Mr Compress said lying from the ground as his upper torso was covered in branches. "Don't tell me this was pre-planned?!"
"When you are on the offensive, that's when you neglect defense the most," a voice from the other side of the door said as Edgeshot sneaked in through the gaps of the door like paper and opened it, revealing a small army of soldiers. "We're not the only ones here from Pizza-la. There are experienced heroes outside, like Endeavor and the police."
[y/n] couldn't help but sigh in relief. Thinking about it, the situation he was in was even worse than he thought as his legs were almost dead from not moving and his injuries were still bad. The boy took one test step as he suddenly felt black spots dance around his vision. Nevertheless, he managed to take small steps without crumpling to the ground.
"I'm sure you were scared, but you held it together." [y/n] looked ahead of him to see All Might looking at him with his signature smile. "Your father wanted to be here but it was best to have him at the meeting for the plan to be more effective."
[y/n] nodded at the statement before wiping his bloody hand on his shirt. Makes sense, both for the element of surprise and to lessen the blow dealt on U.A's reputation.
"I went through all this trouble to make this happen," Shigaraki said as he angrily stared at the pro-hero. "Why does the final boss have to come to me?" [y/n] squinted his eyes and looked around the room before making eye contact with Twice. The boy gave him a small bow with the side of his hand against his nose as an apology for putting the knife against his throat. He didn't know what the villain's answer was as he immediately turned to Shigaraki who stood up.
"It can't be helped. 'We're not the only ones here.' The same goes for us!" Shigaraki shouted. "Kurogiri! Bring over as many as you can!"
[y/n] stared at the blue-haired villain and looked around the room, waiting for something to happen but nothing did.
"What's the matter, Kurogiri?" Shigaraki asked his comrade.
"I'm sorry, Shigaraki Tomura," Kurogiri replied in a regretful tone. "The Nomus that are supposed to be in a fixed location aren't there..."
"Huh?"
I wonder if I could get away with a few stabs, [y/n] thought as he squinted his eyes and stared at the villains while twirling his knife in one hand. The boy suddenly felt a strong arm around his shoulder as he looked up to see All Might patting his back while he smiled at the villains. "League of Villains, you underestimated everything. The soul of this young man, the diligence of a police investigation, and our anger!" [y/n] squinted his eyes as a sudden bright light came from behind All Might and his theme song began to play... though he didn't know where it came from. Maybe he was hallucinating from his injuries. "Your pranks went too far. They will end here, Shigaraki Tomura!"
"The end, you say?" Shigaraki attempted to say in an unimpressed tone but it was obvious that there was anger behind it. "You've got to be kidding. It's only the beginning." Shigaraki got up despite his binds as he continued his monologue. "Peace. Justice. All of it is just a vague heap I'm going to rip apart, and I will remove All Might in order to do it. I've begun to gather people for my cause. Don't be ridiculous. This is where I begin. Kurogiri!"
Before the Kurogiri could react, a red thread pierced him through his chest, causing some blood to splatter and the villain to crumple to the ground and Magne to shout out, "No stop! I didn't see anything! Did you kill him?!"
"I played with his insides and he fainted. He won't die." A red swirling thread suddenly floated in front of the villain catching her attention. The swirling thread then turned into the head of Ninja Hero: Edgeshot. "Ninpo, Thousand Sheet Pierce."
"Didn't I tell you earlier it'd be in your best interests to stay put?" Gran Torino said to the villains. "Hikiishi Kenji, Sako Atsuhiro, Higuchi Shuichi, Toga Himiko, Bubaigawara Jin. With little information and time, the police worked all night to determine your identities. Do you understand? You have no where to run."
The old pro hero turned to Shigaraki to ask him a simple question. "I want to ask you, Shigaraki. Where is your boss?"
[y/n] waited for an answer as Shigaraki began mumbling to himself making him a bit nervous.
"Don't be ridiculous... Don't be ridiculous!"
"Where is he right now?" All Might asked.
"Go away... Disappear..."
"Shigaraki!"
"I... hate you!"
Suddenly, two portals made of a black floating liquid, on either side of Shigaraki, formed as two Nomus appeared and let out piercing cries.
"Nomu?! They came out of nowhere!" Kamui Woods shouted as more portals began appearing in the room.
"Edgeshot!" Gran Torino shouted. "What about Kurogiri?!"
"He's unconscious! This isn't his doing!"
[y/n] was about to take fighting stance when he suddenly dropped his knife and clutched his throat. The boy spewed out the very same black substance from his mouth as it began covering his body.
"Young Takeru!" All Might shouted as he attempted to grab the boy but was too late as he seemed to have vanished without a trace whilst Nomu began attacking the pro-heroes.
——————————————————
[y/n] was suddenly teleported to an area filled with rubble as he crumbled to the floor while violently coughing. He was starting to get tired of being dragged through random portals without his consent at this point.
"I apologize, Takeru."
Still coughing, [y/n] looked up as he was suddenly faced with a man wearing a skull-like gas mask with various tubes and pipes connected to it, covering his face, and a black suit. Before he could process who the man was, [y/n] looked behind him to see the same portal used him transport the League of Villains to the same location.
"What was that..." Toga said while covering her mouth.
"Something stinks! It smells good!"
"Master..." Shigaraki got on his knees and gave the man a small bow as the rest of the villains stared at the man with the exception of Dabi and Kurogiri who were still unconscious.
"You've failed again, Tomura," The man said as he walked over to where the blue-haired villain was. "But do not be discouraged, just try again. I have brought your associates back as well and this boy too." The boss then turned to [y/n] as the boy immediately got into fighting position.
"What a beautiful quirk. The ability to create life from art is truly one to behold." The man tried to reach out to the boy but [y/n] stepped back and avoided his hand while staring at him. "A quirk that utilizes talent and skills to be brought to its true potential. Truly an amazing one... No wonder Tomura tried to recruit you."
[y/n] maintained a blank expression as the man held out his hand.
"How about this? Join me and my cause and in exchange, I'll give you whatever you wish for," The villain said in a happy-go-lucky tone. [y/n] sneered at the offer but the man only listed down possible rewards. "Riches... Power... Fame... but I suppose none of that interests you, does it?"
The two stared down each other with the villains watching with interest as the man said words that made [y/n]'s world turn upside down.
"Then how about I give you a voice?"
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A/N: yuh another cliff hanger, also i got the raiden shogun and c2 sara which is nice hedhdh. The catch is a pain in the ass to farm though especially the rare fishes with the electro abyss mage and ice slimes dhdhdhdbsbs