A Time For First Impressions

The first thing that I notice is the quiet sound of my own breaths. The slow rhythm is easy to focus on and I can feel myself begin to drift back to sleep. I maintain consciousness just long enough to check the time on my phone. 9:24 am. As nice as it would be to just go back to sleep, I don't want to give the impression that I'm lazy. Not on my technical first day.

Despite how much it pains me, I roll the sheets off and begin to sit up. Compared to my years of waking up to an alarm just about everyday, this slow, gentle kind of morning feels very refreshing. I let loose a yawn as I begin to stretch my arms towards the end of my bed. I'm pleasantly surprised by my own surplus of energy. I feel like last night was the first decent rest that I've had in a long time. Definitely the first one without any weird dreams. While I'm stretching, my eyes wander around my new room. It's relatively sparse, just a mid-sized, grey room. There's a small desk, lamp, an alarm clock, and a few photos that I took from home. I smirk a little, thinking about how heavily this plain room contrasts with my old one. No All Might memorabilia here.

Kurogiri was kind enough to warp me to my apartment so that I could gather whatever I needed. It was actually pretty difficult, deciding what was necessary and what could stay. All my hero stuff was a definite no but everything else was a much tougher choice. It felt like such a waste to abandon our pressure cooker. And who knows when a mini zen garden will be useful? In the end, I tried to limit myself to the barest of essentials. I gathered all my clothes, my fitness equipment, and all of the money that was left in the house. Despite my efforts, I couldn't help but bring a few extraneous items. Alongside my essentials were a few nice candles, my hero notebooks, and some photos of me and Mom.

Just as the thought goes through my mind, I realize that I've been staring at those photos, all lined up neatly on a shelf on the wall. They all show pretty typical events, like our trip to Kyoto or my graduation from elementary school. Just looking at them makes me feel extremely melancholy. A sad smile comes to my face involuntarily as a sigh escapes my mouth. I ease myself out of bed, that somber feeling in my chest slowing my movements considerably. I take a deep breath as I walk towards the door. Even this dour mood has gotten better since I came here. Maybe because I'm finally doing more than just wallowing in my own gloom. The only way to really feel better… is to move on.

As I start to wash up, my downcast mood is slowly lifted. However, it's replaced with a growing sense of anxiety. This will be my first day as a member of the League of Villains. It's like the first day of high school, but worse. At least no one will bully me here. Right?

From how Kurogiri explained it, he and Shigaraki are the only other people who live here in the bar. All for One stays in his warehouse and the other members are supposed to just stay separated until they're needed. I can feel my breath quicken as I start to worry about what will happen. I'm an official member, but I don't know if they'll be ok with a teenager joining their group.

Still, this is just one of those hurdles that I've gotta overcome. I run through my morning prep, albeit a little clumsily, and toss on a pair of loose pants and my green hoodie. I recall the tour that Shigaraki gave me and begin to retrace my steps back to the main area downstairs. Try as I might, I can't stop my hands from fidgeting by the time I reach the bottom of the stairs. I'm so focused on my own hands that I don't notice that I've entered the bar until a deep voice calls out to me.

"Ah, good morning Midoriya," Kurogiri calls out from behind the bar. I respond while attempting hide my nervousness.

"Oh, h-hi, Mr. Kurogiri!" I say a little too quickly.

"I thought I told you yesterday, such formalities are unnecessary. Just Kurogiri is fine. Come, sit down.". I silently curse myself for my awkwardness before taking a spot on one of the bar stools. I can't help but notice his attire. He's dressed in a full suit, yet it's a different one from the one he wore yesterday. Does he only wear suits? How many does he have?

My thoughts are interrupted by Kurogiri's voice. "What will you have to drink?". I return his question with a quizzical look. "We have more than booze here," he replies, masterfully interpreting my expression.

"Oh, then m-milk, please," I respond, self-conscious of my childish taste in drinks. Kurogiri seems surprised by my answer or as surprised as you can look when your face is made of mist. Still, he pours me a glass and walks into a room behind him. I sip slowly, appreciating a break from the tense social situation. Kurogiri is very polite, although I'm not sure if that's because of his inherent nature or if All for One gave him some kind of order to be kind. As I contemplate the many possibilities, Kurogiri walks back into into the room with a platter in his hand. I observe him carefully as he lays it on the bar, revealing three bowls of miso soup.

"Breakfast," Kurogiri announces plainly.

"Oh, thank you for the food," I reply, all of my nerves being erased by this sudden act of kindness.

"It's no trouble at all Midoriya. I am available to prepare food at any time. Speaking of time, I would say it's about 10 o'clock now.". Kurogiri lets out a sigh before continuing. "This is one of my least favorite parts of the day.". He sounds genuinely dejected. I'm about to ask him what the problem, when he suddenly opens a warp gate right beside him. A part of me gets really excited looking at his quirk in action. Being able to open portals at such long distances is so neat!

"I will be gone for only a few moments," Kurogiri says, just as he slips through his portal. Silence fills the room as the black mass disappears. I take advantage of the moment and start eating my breakfast. Just as I start to feel comfortable with the lack of noise…

THUMP

The silence is interrupted by a dull thud coming from upstairs.

THUMP

Another thud and this one is followed by a muted voice. Despite how subdued it is, I can clearly hear how angry the voice is. Who could be here except… Shigaraki. The realization washes over me. But if he and Kurogiri are arguing, then why? Is it because of me? I'm so caught up in my own thoughts that I barely notice a warp gate appear behind the bar. I hastily start eating again, pretending that I didn't hear anything.

Kurogiri lets out a sigh as he walks through the portal. "Shigaraki will be joining us shortly. I... apologize for the noise," he says, a definite note of shame in his voice.

"Oh, um, d-did you guys argue? I didn't hear anything," I respond in my most casual voice. Kurogiri chuckles to himself before walking back into the room behind the bar.

I continue eating breakfast, anxiously waiting for Shigaraki's arrival. Yesterday, he gave off a strong aura of annoyance at my presence. The best that I can hope for today is just not to make him mad.

Just as Kurogiri walks back into the room, I hear uneven steps from the stairs. Shigaraki enters slowly, slouching a full two inches. His apparel consists of black pants, black shirt, black jacket, and a disembodied hand on his face. Part of me wonders if this hand is connected to his quirk. Can he make extra arms? Or does he just have an itchy face? He does seem to scratch himself a lot.

I suddenly become acutely aware of the fact that I'm staring and quickly return to my meal. Kurogiri places a bowl of miso soup at a spot to the left of me.

"Actually," Shigaraki says with his hoarse voice, "I've got something to show the two of you. A bit of a surprise.". The only thing more unnerving than this hypothetical surprise is his voice. It's so creepy. It feels like I'm talking to a snake, not a person. Shigaraki grabs the remote and presses the power button. I realize that there's a TV hanging from the corner of the room. He slowly navigates through multiple menus before he reaches recordings and plays a news broadcast. The news? What could be so surprising about. After further finagling with the video, Shigaraki eventually finds the moment he's looking for.

The news lady begins her segment with explosive energy.

"Breaking news! This morning, Pro Hero Tremor was attacked and seriously injured! Not only was it a brutal assault, but according to Tremor, the perpetrator was a young teenager.

Local police chief states 'It's such a shame that such young people are turning to villainy.'. When asked for a description of the boy, both Tremor and All Might were able to give accurate summaries. After careful deduction, the culprit has been identified as Izuku Midoriya.".

A photo from middle school flashes on screen. I look rather plain, just staring at the camera with a blank face. Despite how unsettling the experience should be, I feel numb to the shock of my face being labelled as that of a criminal.

"Some viewers will recognize Izuku Midoriya from the recent collateral disaster that Tremor was involved in. His mother died in the conflict and this is without a doubt, the cause of the boy's actions.

A local officer had this to say.'I don't really think that the kid has any ground to stand on. This was clearly just some kid trying to take out his anger on someone so he picked the closest guy to the action!'. Regardless, neither heroes were able to locate Midoriya after the skirmish. So please viewer, be on the lookout for him! There's no way of knowing what he'll do next!"

Shigaraki immediately turns off the TV. "That was aired last night. Thought that you might want to see it," he says coyly.

"That doesn't seem necessary Shigaraki," Kurogiri starts to rebuke, but I interrupt him.

"It's all fine. This is actually good news. If they don't know where I went, then they didn't see me get pulled through the warp gate. That means that nobody knows about your quirk, Kurogiri. I was worried that I blew the whistle on one of our most useful advantages,"I state plainly. Kurogiri's surprised expression is only matched by Shigaraki's.

"But, Midoriya this means," he starts to say before I cut him off again.

"It means that the public has identified me as a villain," I say with a sigh. I thought that I was ready for this but the realization is still a blow. Still, I can't look weak, not now.

"It really is fine. This changes nothing. I made my decision yesterday and I will stick by it. I want to change something, even if the world calls me evil. I won't ever go back on that.".

Kurogiri looks impressed by my vigor. His approving eyes contrasts with Shigaraki's unentertained glare. After staring me down for a few seconds, he shrugs nonchalantly and sits down. I guess that my moment is over. I let out a deep breath, trying not to let my energy show. It feels like that broadcast has filled me with grim determination.

I return to my soup, now much colder than before. I'm a little too nervous to ask to heat it up, so I just choke it down. Without asking, Kurogiri pulls out a large mug and fills it with some steaming liquid. He slides the the cup to Shigaraki who accepts it gladly. He tilts the hand on his face up a little in order to allow access to his mouth. He grabs the mug and begins to take a large swig before stopping abruptly.

To any outside viewer, everything would seem just fine. But in an instant, the temperature of the room fell a full twenty degrees. Unlike his eager hand movements before, Shigaraki now moves slowly. His voice is much heavier when he speaks again.

"Kurogiri… what is this?"

Kurogiri spends a few moments thinking before replying. "It's chai tea," he says plainly. Silence reigns again as the conversation halts.

"And why am I drinking this leaf water SHIT instead of coffee?," he says, his anger briefly breaking through in the middle of his sentence.

Kurogiri takes his time with his reply once again. "Both I and All for One believe that you should stay off of caffeine. We have a major operation coming up and you should be in top shape for it," he calmly states. Shigaraki doesn't immediately responding, choosing to focus his gaze on the bar instead.

Slowly, he raises the mug into the air above the bar with his right hand. He raises his left hand as well and places his thumb and pointer finger on the mug. Kurogiri must know something that I don't because he starts to panic.

"Shigaraki," he says waningly.

His middle finger touches the mug.

"Shigaraki." he says, this time more sternly. His index finger makes contact. Now only his pinky remains, inching ever closer. The tension is thick as Kurogiri takes a step forward and begins to speak with authority.

"Tomura Shigaraki!" he barks.

But it's too late.

Shigaraki's pinky touches the side of the mug. Instantly, the whole thing erodes into dust. The little particles start to disperse through the air. As for the liquid inside, it slipped right through Shigaraki's hands and onto the counter. Both Kurogiri and I are too stunned to react. Shigaraki takes advantage of our silence and wipes the dust and tea off his hand. He turns and begins to walk towards the door.

"And where are you going now?" Kurogiri asks dejectedly.

"I'm going to get a decent drink, one that isn't made from a goddamn plant!" Shigaraki replies angrily as he swings the door open.

"You know, coffee beans also come from a plant!" Kurogiri counters. Shigaraki responds by slamming the door.

Silence fills the room after Shigaraki's outburst. I feel like I should say something but nothing feels appropriate. Thankfully, Kurogiri is the one that breaks the silence first.

"I… apologize. I had hoped that your presence would make Shigaraki less prone to such outbursts. I would be lying if I said this was out of the ordinary.". I can't help but chuckle at his words. Shigaraki gives off such an ominous feeling. I would never have expected him to be so unreasonable. "That reminds me," Kurogiri continues. "If you are finished with breakfast, then All for One would like to speak with you again. Apparently, he would like to discuss the business of your new quirk.".

THUMP

I'm awoken by a dull thud coming through the wall. I immediately shoot up, preparing myself for the worst. Is it a Pro Hero? Did they find our hideout somehow? My fear runs rampant before the I hear the sound of someone's voice. The man's speech is scratchy and quiet, despite the fact that he's clearly yelling. A sudden thought crosses my mind as I reach for my phone to check the time. 10:02 am. I let out a sigh as I collapse back into bed. I should be more accustomed to Kurogiri's attempts to get Shigaraki out of bed before noon. Usually, I'm awake and out of the bar well before 10 o'clock but I guess that I slept in today.

That isn't really surprising. Yesterday was my "final exam" after all. After training my new quirk with All for One for about ten months, I was given a chance to show how much I improved. We had always used the Nomus as practice dummies but it was different for the test. The one that I fought didn't have any of the restrictions that the others had. It didn't have orders to not touch me or even orders to keep me alive. It was just a plain, old deathmatch. After a fight that spanned almost an hour, I managed to knock it unconscious. It was one of my proudest moments, slightly hampered by the fact that I knew that it was one of the weaker Nomus. I can still remember a time when the Nomus terrified me. Their exposed brains and dead eyes were incredibly unsettling. I'm still not sure where they come from and asking about it is a definite no. But I'm definitely more used to their presence now. Their lack of speech makes them very easy to ignore.

Regardless, All for One seemed quite pleased after the battle. "This is an excellent sign," he said confidently. "It is excellent timing as well. The time for our operation is quickly approaching. I will be sure to explain the plan to you in full tomorrow.".

Those words run through my mind and I realize that I should probably hurry. I race through my morning routine and dash downstairs. Shigaraki is already dressed and drinking coffee by the time I reach the bar. Kurogiri's embargo on caffeine survived only three more tantrums before he tentatively lifted it. Since then, Shigaraki drinks about a full pot every day. I'm pretty positive that it isn't healthy, but he does seem much calmer after he has his first cup. He shoots me a glare as I reach the bottom of the stairs. Despite how long I've been here, Shigaraki and I haven't really talked much. Not anything that went beyond what was necessary. He always seemed angry whenever I returned from training with All for One. My best guess is that he resents me for stealing all the attention. It's a childish motive, but Shigaraki is a pretty childish guy. Still, as time has gone on, he's tolerated my existence much more. I guess that's the best to hope for.

"Ah, Midoriya. It seems that you're finally awake," Kurogiri says as he sees me enter the room.

"Yeah, sorry for sleeping in so late." I reply sheepishly.

"Not a problem at all," he responds while pouring me a glass of milk. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Shigaraki give a look of disdain. But it isn't pointed at me like usual. Instead, he seems to be staring down… the milk. We eat at different times so I've never seen this reaction before. He has some eccentric habits but a genuine dislike for milk seems to be excessive, even for him.

"If Midoriya is present, then we can begin our meeting.". The sudden sound of All for One's voice surprises me and I almost spit out my drink as a result. I turn to see that the voice is coming out of the TV in the corner of the room. All for One has only used this method of communication sparingly, but the screen always goes fuzzy when he does. All for One continues, his voice slightly corrupted.

"I assume that you are all aware of the news that All Might will be teaching at U.A. High School.". The three of us instantly tense up. This is definitely a serious situation. "This new development and the recent strides that Midoriya has made with his quirk usage tell me one thing. It is time to put our plans into action.". Kurogiri maintains a solemn look in his eyes. Shigaraki starts to chuckle while lightly stirring his coffee. It seems that I'm the only one who doesn't know about the plan.

"We are going to kill the Symbol of Peace. The Number One Hero. All Might.".