Fanfic #35 Anyone by Gentrychild(MHA)

This is a fanfic with izuku as the mc who becomes a kind of villain/vigilante.

Synopsis: Imagine a world where your quirk determines your path and your worth. A world that has no place for a quirkless boy. Despite that, Izuku is determined to become a hero. Until he realizes no one will let him. So he accidentally creates a helpful (criminal) organization. And he (not so) accidentally steals One for All. May contain Izuku technically becoming a villain but still helping people, All Might running around like a headless chicken to find his stolen quirk, and All for One refusing to just go away.

Rated: M

words: 158k

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18266738/chapters/43226114

Here's the first chapter:

One day, fantasy became reality, and the world devolved into chaos.

Until the government stepped in, bringing order and control over the new laws of reality. Heroes of justice, determined to protect the innocents and to fight the villains.

Only heroes had the right to use their quirks.

Only the strictly innocents would be protected.

And the villains would be shown no mercy.

People are not born equal.

On the morning of the last days of Izuku's exam week, the fourteen-year-old teenage boy woke up before his alarm rang, groggy because of the lack of sleep but unable to go back to the sweet slumber. He stretched. Yawned. And he looked at his phone and at the Clamor server he was moderating.

One in many on the web, but this one was slightly different. It had started as a support group, a virtual place where people could vent, talk about their problems or their success, and share advices or at least some support. For a year now, it had become something else.

Izuku quickly skimmed through the activity, then gave more attention to the request he had received. The user, Harker222 was in the middle of a divorce and their wife was supposed to have the kids because their quirks were similar. In consequence, the Quirked Minor Law applied and they would go with the adult who was supposed to help them nurture their quirk.

It was the third time someone asked help because of this law. There wasn't much he could do if the parent in question wasn't unfit to be a parent, but if not, he would have to contact Gwen and Defendersofthebrave, the first to make an intensive background check on Harker22, the other because she was the lawyer who had helped with the previous cases.

Izuku sent a message to Gwen. She was perfectly able to find Harker222's identity and to make sure they were legit. He had never been keen on taking risks.

Then, with a willpower bordering on heroic, he dragged himself out of bed, not used to wake up this early. That was the advantage with being home schooled : he had his own schedule.

As always, the house was quiet and devoid of any activity, so he walked to the living room, put the TV on to have some sound, and started preparing himself.

Izuku's mom was a Chef, and a damn good one at that, currently in New York. She had to travel all around the world for her job, which was great and exciting -and it payed well, which was something they desperately needed at some point- but most of the time, she was far away from home. Izuku missed her but he knew this was necessary and when he would finish high school, nothing prevented him to follow her.

It wasn't even that lonely anyway.

Izuku put on a white shirt and black pants, but then change because he became self-conscious about the scar on his back, a Lichtenberg figure starting from his right shoulder and covering a little more than quarter of his back, which could be seen if one had keen eyes and if he was wearing anything white.

Usually, it wouldn't be a problem. But usually, Izuku avoided his former middle school like the plague, and he didn't want anyone to be reminded of why he had left. Not that things would be great anyway.

Despite having been home schooled for two years, Izuku still had to go to his old middle school to take the exams, and that was his least favorite activity, because everyone in there knew he was quirkless.

The teasing was endless.

Izuku was twelve the first time he had lied about his quirk. He had stopped going to school for two months, had stopped hiding in his apartment for one, and he had started to frequent a sport center, the kind which provided all kind of physical activities and quirk training.

He had needed the activity. At first, it had been dreadful. He had kept going before it was a necessary training to be a hero. And little by little, he had learned to enjoy the activity.

But more than anything else, he needed the social contact. Being alone was eating him alive.

And of course, his new friends had asked about his quirk.

He hadn't manage to tell them the truth. The ''I have an analysis quirk.'' had passed his lips before he had the time to think about it. No one had been surprised.

It was stupid. It wasn't like he could change anything on the quirk record, not unless he proved it. And if his new friends had met anyone from his past, the cat would have been out of the bag.

But the change had been immediate. No one had thought he was useless or weak. People had asked him how to improve their quirks. Had been listening to him despite his young age. And he had helped them, starting his quirk counselling work but that was a story for another day.

Heads were turning his way as Izuku was walking down the hallways of the middle school, but since he was the only one not in uniform, it wasn't surprising, and Izuku ignored them.

Since Izuku had the time to get unused to them, his eyes kept lingering on the colorful posters hanging on the walls of the school.

The right path for the right quirk.

Strength, mind, quirk.

Join the Exemplars.

The last one, one of the only posters which didn't have the word 'quirk' in it, was a little misleading because you had to be invited by the Hero Commission to enter the corps.

All those paths offered, depending on which quirk you have.

Online, there were support groups for people with villain-like quirks, or with plain ones, but nothing for quirkless people. It was as if Izuku's group didn't exist. When quirkless people were mentioned, it was either in movies where they died and the hero who failed to save them would mourn about how powerless they had been, or -his favorite- it was revealed the quirkless one had an incredibly powerful quirk they didn't know about all along. And it was a commonly admitted fact that quirkless people were a dying specie.

In a world where quirks dictated your path, no one knew what to do with the quirkless.

Which meant that since he didn't have a quirk that could steer him on a predetermined road, he could walk down any path with enough effort. He had the choice.

And Izuku wanted to be a hero.

When he entered the classroom which was assigned to him, his former class by the way, everyone was already on their seats and his former homeroom teacher was really concerned about how he was almost late and how Izuku needed to be more careful, and so on.

Kacchan was at the front row and when he glared at Izuku, the latter immediately looked at his feet. With his former childhood friend, the rule was to be invisible but even that wouldn't save anyone from his temper.

But his quirk was Explosion and everyone knew he was destined to become a hero. Allowances had to be made for special people like him.

The test started and Izuku went through it easily. His notes had skyrocketed since he had started studying on his own, and he had stopped being nervous during exams.

And like always, he finished half an hour in advance.

He gave his test to the teacher and went back to his chair and to the little table in the back of the class, his notebook in hand. He wasn't actually allowed to leave class before the end of the exams, but he didn't like to waste time here. He absolutely didn't want to have time to think when he was in a place where he had been... Well, a place he had never really belonged to.

Izuku ignored how accurately aware he was of the Lichtenberg scar on his back, and he started working on the temperature change quirk he was given details about. On his server, as SmallMight1541, people came for him to ask how to improve their quirks, and they were even paying him for that, which was a nice bonus.

He managed to work for ten minutes when his former teacher approached and paused in front of Izuku's desk.

''Midoriya...'' he whispered, or at least that was what he thought. ''I was wondering where you were planning to go next year?''

Why ? Why are you talking to me right now and right here? You're not my teacher anymore. Forget about me. Please. Pretty please. With a cherry on the top.

Sadly, he didn't get the message and he waited for his answer. Oh, what Izuku would have given for a telepathic quirk or for a mind-wiping one.

''I am going to attempt UA entrance exam,'' Izuku said as he closed his notebook, not wanting to

A flash of surprise passed on the adult's face. UA was a great school, but more known for one course in particular. ''Oh, the Gen Ed or the Management?''

''The hero course.''

He had whispered it but in a silence only interrupted by the noise of pens writing on the paper, he had no choice but to be heard and several students turned their heads towards him, but at least it was discreet despite the disbelief on their faces. What wasn't discreet was Kacchan turning his head towards him, like a demented own, then he gave Izuku a scowl that upgraded his neck-turning to something that should have necessitated several exorcists to deal with.

The teacher just smiled awkwardly, embarrassed, and left as if he hadn't just exposed Izuku to the rest of the class.

As soon as the exam was over and that the students started to give their forms, Izuku grabbed his backpack and started to make a break for it, but Kacchan and his friends immediately rushed towards where he was and they cornered him.

Kacchan smiled. The expression was unnatural and vaguely terrifying, and to add insult to the injury, their teacher chose this precise moment to leave the room.

''Hey, Deku! Did I just hear you saying you were going to UA?''

One day, Izuku would find out why his mere presence unnerved Kacchan. This day didn't need to be today.

''You did,'' he admitted, looking around but there was no way out.

Kacchan sighed: ''Why do you insist on pissing me off ?''

But everything pisses you off.

''I don't even know what I did,'' Izuku reminded him.

He wasn't only talking about today. Once, Kacchan and Izuku were always with each other, even after he was declared quirkless. And one day, his childhood friend had started despising the very sight of him.

Kacchan showed his teeth, pure contempt coming in waves from him : ''You're a nobody breathing the same air as me. You're useless and you couldn't even deal with middle school. Why the fuck do you think you would survive near a hero high school?''

Izuku didn't answer. He just looked at him, ready to bolt if Kacchan ever used his quirk. He would look ridiculous and he would be laughed at but if he could avoid firecrackers on his skin, he didn't care.

And his former friend almost immediately proved him right..

Kacchan's arm crossed the air and though Izuku almost jumped out of his skin, he wasn't the target. Kacchan grabbed the notebook which had still been on the desk, his note and analysis, and the pages crackled as firecrackers started to destroy it.

Izuku could only stare at what he was doing.

Before irremediable damage was done, Kacchan threw his work behind his back without looking. ''If you want to be a hero that much, why don't you take a dive from the rooftop and pray to have a quirk in your next life?''

An incredible silence fell on the classroom, so heavy it was almost physical. Students looked at Bakugou and at each other, their eyes wide, unease written in everyone's body languages.

No one on this room liked Izuku but everyone of them realized that Kacchan had just crossed a line, and it was like everyone was holding his breath.

But no one said anything.

Neither did Izuku. He took what was left of his notebook and his backpack and he left without a word.

He saw his teacher as he went out. The adult looked at his ruined notebook, then looked at his own feet, obviously uncomfortable, but he didn't say anything.

It didn't surprise Izuku.

Proving that life had a sense of humor, and Izuku was the punchline, he was going back to his apartment when a villain tried to kill him. He remembered drowning. He remembered trying to fight for his life.

And failing.

Then, All Might appeared in what was obviously a fevered dream created by a brain who had been deprived from oxygen for too long.

Except it wasn't.

The things he learned that day.

''I am quirkless. Do you... Do you think I can be a hero ?''

This was a stupid question. Izuku was aware of it before he even asked, but he couldn't help it. It was pathetic but he needed the validation. He needed someone to tell him that yes, his dreams weren't foolish. That he could so something.

All Might took a deep breath, his head slightly shaking from right to left, and Izuku knew what was his going to say because his body language had already answered. Hope died within him before All Might even said the words and he braced himself to hear the actual words.

''Without power, can one become a hero? No, I think not.''

It was like all the air had fled Izuku's lungs. Even though he knew it. Even though he was prepared for it.

''If you desire to help people, becoming a police officer is always an option,'' All Might continued. ''That's an admirable work.''

This actually help Izuku anchor himself back to reality.

Because of the sheer stupidity of this suggestion.

The police discriminated on quirks. Not that they actually used them but they wanted their members to have them ready if there was a problem, and there was a project of law that would keep people with certain quirks from enrolling, so a quirkless person could never approach a post.

''It's not wrong to dream. However, you need to be realistic, kid.''

It was at this moment that Izuku realized what was happening.

All Might didn't understand. He couldn't. All Might had a quirk. He had the most incredible quirk Izuku heard about. He couldn't realize the difference in their lives.

We don't live in the same world.

After All Might left, Izuku stayed a long time on this roof. Just thinking, while leaning on the handrail.

Explosions were shaking the place as Bakugou was fighting back, desperately trying to breathe as the Sludge Villain was wrapped around him and trying to get inside him, and Izuku was terrified because he knew. He knew intimately what was happening, how he was fighting for air, how it was impossible to fight against this villain.

And it was his fault because he had accidentally allowed the villain to escape when he had grabbed All Might.

Izuku's body moved on his own.

He had been looking at the heroes, wondering what the hell they were doing as someone was getting drowned on dry land, then he saw how scared Kacchan was, and then, he was already in movement.

His legs carried him, and he crossed the place before anyone had the time to hold him back. Unless they had a Speed quirk, they wouldn't caught him, not when he ran every day at full speed.

Not that Izuku had a plan. He just knew that the Sludge had eyes that didn't change not matter the form he took so he clawed at them, making him scream and for a moment, Bakugou could breathe.

And then, the Sludge Villain lunged at Izuku, determined to finish what he had started earlier this day.

Izuku knew he was dead.

But All Might appeared from nowhere. Saved him once again, punching the air to hit the Sludge Villain. And then, he disappeared. No doubt that he was closing on his time limit.

Leaving Izuku alone with Kacchan who was silent for once and a dozen of heroes who congratulated him for his quirk, how he could easily be a hero. Some also encouraged Izuku, telling him he had been brave.

At least until they realized Izuku was quirkless.

''You could have been killed !''

''Reckless...''

''Stupid.''

''Lucky to be alive.''

''You need to be realistic.''

It was the middle of the nigh and Izuku was consulting his phone on the roof of his former middle school. Entering here had been ridiculously easy, more than what he had expected.

He had wanted to be away from everything, and somewhere quiet, but not the quiet of his apartment. He had considered the place All Might had accidentally taken him to, but he couldn't access it, so school without any students was the next best thing.

And here he was, on his phone, finishing the work he had as an administrator. Gwen had already treated his request, and he contacted Defendersofthebrave to ask her if she was willing to help Harker22. Izuku was now waiting for her answer.

Izuku was considering dropping the server. They didn't need him. Gwen would probably make a much better job. And it wasn't like the people he knew on the server were real friends.

It wasn't like Izuku had any friends. Or anything.

Izuku just needed to finish this. He just needed to finish this request. Then, he could quit.

That was the plan. One last job. Then he would quit and be done with all this. But someone reached him through the server. Someone who didn't want to talk to the administrator of the server, but to SmallMight1541.

Izuku had started chatting with Snowdrift about a year ago, first because they both liked All Might. Then, they had shared more and more. And this time, Snowdriftreally needed to talk, and honestly, Izuku needed the distraction.

The chatted for a long time.

Two hours later, Izuku left the roof without looking back. He had decided not to delete his account about ten minutes after they had started chatting.

Izuku grew his network. Anyone who had a problem, he helped as long as they didn't want to harm others. A favor for a favor, and he started using them, knowing more and more people, everywhere.

More and more people found him. More and more people who had problems because they didn't have the right quirk, or because someone else had a more interesting one and laws and rules tended to bend for those.

Most of the time, Izuku just put people in contact. Facilitated exchanges of services or transactions. Made researches thanks to Gwen so he would know who he was dealing with and would make sure he wasn't hurting anyone. This was his server, so it was his responsibility.

But they didn't to Smallmight1541, of course. Smallmight1541 was a user who could analyze quirks.

No, they went to the administrator of the server.

Username : Anyone.

The day of the graduation, Kacchan received his invitation to the Exemplars in front of the whole school, delivered by the principal himself, who congratulated him on his heroic behavior. Kacchan looked like he wanted to rip apart the letter with his teeth.

And Izuku was here, because as a home schooled student, this school was where he was supposed to have his certificate delivered. He even clapped with everyone else to congratulate Kacchan. The Exemplars were the elite of the hero course, young people with great quirks who showed talents and a heroic fortitude. They could go into any school they wanted and once they graduated, they would access the top of the Hero rankings. Chosen by the Hero Commission.

And about ten minutes after Kacchan had received this great honor, he followed Izuku to an isolated spot.

''Deku...'' he growled, stalking towards him.

''Congratulations, Kacchan,'' Izuku said politely.

He tried to grab Izuku by the collar.

Maybe to push him against the wall. Maybe to blow his face off.

Izuku never let him the time to try.

He dodged, grabbing Kacchan's wrist and he kicked his knee, the articulation making an almost pop sound under his foot. Unbalanced, Kacchan crashed to the ground, and before he could jump at Izuku's throat once again, the green-haired boy stepped on his wrist, but without putting all his weight on it.

Kacchan froze completely, and Izuku, his heart beating so loudly in his ears, completely in control. Even if Kacchan's face hadn't betrayed how shocked he was that Izuku was fighting back, he would have known. Because this wasn't supposed to happen. Kacchan was the symbol of victory while Izuku was quirkless. Despite the grren-haired-boy's training, they stood a world apart and Izuku was supposed to be defenseless.

But now that Izuku had realized he didn't have anything to lose, things were simpler.

And with his foot on Kacchan's wrist, his childhood friend was realizing there was a lot he couldn't risk.

Izuku saw himself hitting breaking his wrist. He could almost hear the cracking sound the breaking bone would make, how with two other kicks, Kacchan would never be able to use his quirk again without atrocious pain.

But Izuku didn't.

''Goodbye, Kacchan,'' Izuku simply said.

There was a ring specialized into giving people new identity. Like a Witness Protection Program for people who were born with the wrong cards like being related to a villain, having a villainous quirk or a weak one, etc.

Izuku had thought about it for a long time. Quite honestly, Midoriya Izuku had no future. Not in this country. Quirkless people didn't have interesting jobs.

Midoriya Izuku, quirkless and pretty much worthless, disappeared.

Akatani Mikumo, white-haired boy with an analysis quirk, took his place.

Five schools had accepted Izuku, except that they had actually accepted Akatani Mikumo, who had an analysis quirk and the same grades as Midoriya Izuku. He quickly wondered if he would have been admitted without his quirk, but refrained from going further. There was no point.

UA was one of the school which accepted him.

He considered it, but not for long. Kacchan would go there and if there was one person who could identify him, it was the angry pomeranian disguised as a teenager. So he chose Kohaku. Great school, not far, great program. Also, there was a lot of lessons online, so Izuku could continue to be homeschooled and to enjoy his free time.

And to work as Anyone.

Then, a crazy plan was born inside Izuku's mind. Something that was based on a nothing tangible, but it was an opportunity. He thought about it. Debated it.

Then, since he realized he wouldn't be able to pull this off on his own, he decided he would abandon the idea if those who could help him refused.

Anyone :

[I must warn you that some part of this project might be motivated by pure pettiness.]

Humans being were conditioned to ignore risks. They could know about it, they could take precautions against it, but they didn't fear them until consequences were ripe and about to punch them in the face.

Toshinori knew he had less and less time with One for All, not because of the quirk in itself but because his body couldn't take the stress and it just stopped every time he reached his limits. There was no way to circumvent that so he was reduced to check his time again and again, and to make sure not to go beyond, which was quite ironic.

But it worked. It had always worked.

So somehow, Toshinori had managed to convince himself it would always work.

First, it was the car crash. Then, someone fell into a river. There was an accident on the road so Toshinori had to bring them himself to the hospital because there was no doctor on the site. Then, a bank robbery. A car chase. Even for Tokyo, accidents and misdeeds were everywhere on this specific day.

Toshinori knew he was investing too much time, a time he didn't have. He also knew there were other heroes who could handle such situations.

But he didn't manage to slow down. He couldn't take the risk that someone could get hurt because he wasn't fast enough. Because what if the hero who was supposed to answer didn't have the right quirk for the situation? What if someone died trying to help?

He was in the middle of a closed construction site when one of the metal bar tried to fall on his head, and quite honestly, it wasn't the worst that had happened to him today.

Until something made him lose his footing.

It was as simple as that, but when he did, it was as if One for All completely abandoned him. He crashed into the ground, and everything became black. When he opened his eyes again, he was laying on the ground, trapped under a lot of metal.

Toshinori tried to get rid of it, but there was nothing. No strength, no energy, just an intense cold that didn't leave place for anything else.

Except for fear, of course. The last time his body had failed was when he had almost died.

''Is there anyone here?'' someone young called.

Toshinori didnt dare to say anything. He was too scared to call out for help. He was the one supposed to save people, not the other way around. But still, he looked in the direction of the voice, and saw who was running toward him.

And Toshinori recognized him. Young, green-haired, wide green eyes, and even wearing an All Might hoodie.

The boy froze when he saw him.

He got extremely pale when he looked at what Toshinori couldn't see from his body behind the metal pipes.

Confirming what the intense feelings of numbness and pain were trying to tell Toshinori all along.

I don't know his name, Toshinori realized. He had never asked. Even after the second Sludge villain attack, he was expecting to learn his name in the news but there was nothing. He had meant to do some researches, but he had been too busy to do so.

The boy looked at the mess of metal and pipes. He looked terrified, probably because his hero was approaching his end, and none of them could do anything about it. The boy pulled out his phone in a second, calling for help. Good reflexes, but it seemed to be too late.

''Come closer, please,'' Toshinori asked, feeling colder and colder, his strength leaving him.

And the boy did, still looking afraid but trying to hide it. Brave kid.

But Toshinori already knew that. Only someone brave would run at a villain to save someone. Why hadn't he talked to him that day? He should have said something.

''I am sorry, young man. I am sorry I told you you couldn't become a hero.''

The young man looked horrified. ''Forget that. It's alright.''

''No, it's not,'' Toshirnori corrected. ''I was afraid. For you. What it meant for me. But now, I need your help. My time is up.''

And he wasn't just talking about his quirk.

''My quirk... My quirk is named One for All. It didn't appear with me, you see, but it was passed down to me, like a torch of eternal fire. I inherited the ability to transfer power.''

The boy's eyes comically widened.

''What?''

Of course he couldn't believe it. No one had heard of a quirk which could be transferred. But All Might had one responsibility as a One for All holder, even more important than fighting All for One or to be the symbol of Peace.

''Find Gran Torino. He will help you. He will explain you everything.''

''Don't say that. You're going to be fine!''

Toshinori didn't have the time for comfort, so he plucked a hair from his head and put it in the boy's hand. It's a boy, really a boy. Even younger than I was when I lost Nana. The green-haired-boy looked at it without understanding.

''To inherit my quirk, you have to consume a piece of my DNA,'' Toshinori explained.

The boy's face immediately became blank.

''Do it!'' Toshinori growled.

The boy put his hand to his face so fast he pretty much smacked himself on the mouth and he gulped down the hair.

Toshinori closed his eyes, serene because he knew that One for All wouldn't die with him. Gran Torino would handle it. He already did once. Everything would be alright.

And when he opened them, there was no metal, no pipes, and even though the ground was cold under him, like it had half frozen over, All Might was feeling completely alright.

And his quirk was gone.

Izuku ran, put back his cap and his mask to hide his face, avoided cameras, took two buses, and then and only then, he sent the signal so everyone would stop using their quirks.

He needed as much distance as humanly possible between All Might and him when he would realize what had just happened, if anything had happened at all. Apart from being weirded out by swallowing a hair, Izuku couldn't feel anything different.

One for All. A rumor few could find and fewer could listen to.

None of this would have happened without Anyone. The massive operation had been a combination of quirks and a lot of favors were called. The worst had been to make All Might run around and to exhaust his quirk so he would be easier to trick. Izuku had chosen All Might's innocents to rescue specifically because of their quirks, to make sure they wouldn't be in actual danger.

Izuku rubbed his arms, trying to get warm up a little. He had been so cold over there, at All Might's side, but he couldn't show it because the hero had to believe the cold was from his injuries and not from an ice quirk. Combined to several Weakness quirks, an illusion one, a dizzy mind quirk, and a multitude of people who had used their powers to make the number 1 hero believe that he was actually getting weaker. Implemented by the bump of the head when he had slipped on ice and fell.

When Izuku felt like he was far enough, Izuku checked his phone, and confirmed with his warper for the day that everyone was back home with no problem, Snowdrift included.

Izuku sighed in relief. He had secured this warper's services because he didn't want anyone willing to help him to risk suffering All Might's wrath.

Yes, you're the one who will have to take responsibility for that, a little voice in his head mocked.

Izuku pushed the thought away. He had just executed one crazy plan, was still alive, and now, he was going to stay low for a while.

Half a second later, a little girl rammed into Izuku's leg, but since there were some hamsters bigger than her, Izuku didn't bulge and she fell, tears in her eyes, which immediately made him panic.

''Are you okay?''

She flinched when he tried to give her his hand to help her go back to her feet, and Izuku froze, because this reaction was just a drop in a sea of red flags. The little girl was maybe five -Izuku didn't know enough children to guess correctly- with white hair, red eyes, and a horn on her forehead. She was wearing what looked like to be a grayish nightgown who wasn't enough to protect her from the wind that was biting at them, her arms and legs were covered in bandages, and she was barefoot.

And she looked terrified.

Izuku crouched down slowly, making himself smaller and less scary.

''Do you need help ?'' he asked her

Her red eyes, like a baby rabbit, widened and she looked around her, as if she was scared someone had heard Izuku.

Unfortunately, she was right to be afraid.

''Eri!'' someone called from the darkness of the alley, obviously unamused.

Izuku got up just as a man with a bird mask got out of the alley. He took one look at the girl -Eri – who was still on the ground and Izuku realized he couldn't let her go with him.

''Look at what you've done, causing so much trouble to a stranger. Come back, Eri.''

It wasn't the mask. Plenty of people wore them in an age where mutations were common. It was the absolute absence of care in his eyes. Usually, when someone looked at a kid, they were some warmth, a hint that people were actually seeing something small and cute that belonged to their species. But not here.

Eri turned towards the man with a bird mask and she hesitated, clearly not wanting to go with him. She looked at Izuku, but then immediately dropped her gaze and she thought furiously. She wasn't expecting him to help her.

And she wasn't expecting Izuku to gently ruffle her hair. She looked up to him, her big eyes filled with interrogation and some mistrust, but Izuku didn't let see how bothered he was by this. Instead, he stayed calm. Looked at her.

I am here. It's going to be alright.

And there it was. Hope.

Good. At least one person who believe I can find a way out of this mess.

''You know her?'' Izuku asked, smiling as if he wasn't considering screaming his head off to alert a hero who would be near-by. Hell, even All Might if that was necessary.

''She is my daughter,'' the masked man said as he was removing a glove. He seemed bored. No doubt that he wasn't passionate by this conversation. ''She is at a difficult age. Sorry for the trouble."

''She doesn't look like you.''

The masked man looked at him and it was as if the temperature suddenly dropped. He looked at him like Izuku's life meant nothing. Like he was a bug, annoying and harmless and that crushing him under his foot wouldn't bother the man. He would just do it and live on with his life without ever pausing on his existence.

''Move along, brat,'' the masked man said, a last warning, a last chance for Izuku to get the hint and to run for his life.

He is going to kill me.

''I... I don't think if I can do that,'' Izuku said lamely.

He didn't have anything on him. Sure, he could fight if needed but the man had just removed his glove so his quirk was contact-based and Izuku didn't want to leave him the occasion to lay his hand on him. And there was the little girl. He could ran like hell but would he be fast enough if he was carrying her

But the adult was tired to wait.

''Eri?'' he called, making her flinch. ''Remember this is your fault.''

He lunged at Izuku.

Raw terror drenched the teenager and he raised his fist, reacting on instinct because he knew that this man was about to kill him.

And then, the world was drown in a sea of pain.

Someone knocked on Ao's door in the middle of the night and she went to greet them with a baseball bat. Not that her unexpected and unwelcome guest didn't warn her he was coming but still, there was a certain protocol when someone dared to wake her up.

She knew it was Akatani. She knew he was accompanied by a child, a little girl with long white hair and red eyes, like a baby rabbit.

But he had obviously forgotten to mention his arm : completely purple, irremediably broken if quirks like hers didn't exist. Akatani was breathing slowly, as if he was trying to keep a well-earned scream of pain inside his throat. He was pale as death and there were drops of sweats on his forehead, making his now green curls heavy, but apart from that, nothing would indicate that his arm was a mess of broken bones.

''Ao?'' he asked, and his voice was almost calmed, though strained. ''I'm sorry to ask you that but I think I need help.''

In a dark cell of Tartarus, surrounded by machine guns, his brainwaves monitored, and strapped to a bed, a shadow of a man was taking refuge inside his head. By all account, he should be dead. The Symbol of Peace had ripped off his arms, and destroyed his face, and when his comrades had barely managed to bring him back from the Great Beyond, the Symbol of Peace had found him again, and threw him into this purgatory without showing him the mercy of killing him for good.

He didn't know for how long he had been there. At first, he was sedated. Almost constantly. Little by little, he had fought the effects, starting to claw his way back to the land of the awaken. It might be a year or two. Four at the most. The guard who was taking care of him and who kept talking even though his prisoner neither answered nor acknowledged him hadn't seem to change much.

Solitude was a torture. One of the thing that was keeping him sane were his guards, who tended to chat in front of him, unaware of how he was feeding on every distractions. The other was how deep he could plunge inside his own mind. How he could almost touch remnants from other ages.

And, at this precise moment, since he was so far inside his mind, he felt it. The moment where his quirk, the quirk he had given to his little brother, found a new holder.

The ninth.