Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

All for One looked at his newly healed face. The bullets Tomura had taken from Chisaki Kai had proven very useful. From them, the good doctor had extracted the Quirk of the girl Overhaul had used in his experiments. Thus, using Rewind, the Demon King had restored his face. 

He looked into his empty white eyes, which, what seemed like an eternity ago, had once been a bright green, full of life and hope for a better future, just like his younger brother's. Then he ran his finger over the familiar whitish scar that stretched from his left eyebrow to his cheek, where almost invisible diamond-shaped freckles, faded from long periods underground, were located, and tousled the short, white, curly locks of hair. He smiled ominously, tensely. This image was beautiful, almost perfect. And strangers. All for One would have preferred to remain permanently disfigured—at least, that seemed closer to the image of the monster he'd become over these long centuries but he had no choice in the matter; he had to be fully prepared when facing him. However, this lack of choice was nothing new. The black mark on his chest, where his dark heart beat (if he even had one left), was irrefutable proof of that. All for One touched the mark, tracing the familiar contours of the number 九, which sounded like his birth name. The name given to him by the monster he was forced to call Father. The monster he had imperceptibly transformed into over the years. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, so they say? But he would have preferred not to be like that bastard. But alas, it didn't work out—his genes took over. His mother had been right when she called him a monster with her dying breath. His younger brother was right to turn his back on him, even if he'd done everything for him, including selling his soul to the Devil. No matter. He was a monster, and monsters didn't deserve love. 

Let it be so, love is not at all necessary in the fulfillment of his plans. All that was required of him at this moment was to ensure that his precious vessel—Tomura had enough hatred, enough will, enough pure destructive power to end his reign once and for all. To achieve this goal, he was willing to make colossal sacrifices, to cross all boundaries. For this, All for One manipulated little Tenko Shimura, turning him into a symbol of destruction named Shigaraki Tomura. All for the sake of his family - his precious wife and adored son. All so that Izuku would never repeat his fate and never acquire the number 四十一, which would once and for all turn him into a slave. 

The Demon King glanced at the screens out of the corner of his eye. Everything was going according to plan: Izuku's classmates were gradually wearing him down, and soon it would be his turn to make his entrance. All for One pulled on his shirt, hiding the symbol of his oppression beneath the layer of fabric, replacing it with another. Then he pulled on a black satin vest and threw on a black jacket over it, buttoning it up. Though he despised his work clothes, he had to admit that his appearance made the right impression on those around him. All for One glanced at the screen again. His entrance. 

Chapter Text

"Izuku," Ka-chan addressed him by name for the first time in years. Then he bowed his head and said, "I'm sorry for everything that happened before." 

The raindrops fell dully on the ground, and the rest of Class 1-A fell silent. The whole world seemed to stand still. Izuku's mouth fell open; he hadn't expected an apology from someone as stubborn as Bakugou, even if it was the least he could do after all that had happened. Midoriya didn't know what to feel; part of him wanted to forgive the classmate who had once been his friend without a second thought, but there was also another, dark, embittered part. The same part he carefully hid from everyone, the same part that still vividly remembered every word, every painful burn, that he had to hide from his perpetually worried mother. Izuku wanted to say something, anything, but suddenly, applause sounded from somewhere nearby. A shudder instantly ran through Midoriya, and a painfully familiar aura of death hung in the air. Everyone instantly froze in fear. 

"What a touching speech, I almost cried," said the mocking voice Izuku had been hearing in his nightmares for the past year. 

Struggling to overcome his numbness, Midoriya turned around. A massive figure, dressed in an elegant black three-piece suit, emerged from the shadows of the building and approached them with leisurely steps. His face, once disfigured by All Might, was hidden by a skull-like black mask. 

"All for One..." Izuku said through numb lips. 

"You're right about one thing, Bakugou, your pathetic apologies won't change anything," the villain continued to wail, ignoring the One for All holder. "You made Izuku's life a living hell simply because you considered him inferior, simply because you couldn't accept that he was superior to you in everything, even without a Quirk. You scarred his body and soul, made him believe he was useless, and in the end, you told him to jump off a building and hope for a Quirk in the next life." The Demon King was cruel, stirring up old wounds, forcing both the culprit and his victim to remember everything that had happened. 

Midoriya wanted to stop the villain, to silence him, proudly declaring that everything that had happened between him and Ka-chan was of no consequence to him. However, something dark in his soul rejoiced at the sight of a frightened and ashamed Bakugou and his equally stunned classmates. 

"Bastard, what... You..." Katsuki recoiled, looking at All for One with utter confusion. His knees trembled from the villain's focused bloodlust. "How do you know all this...?" 

"I know everything about you, you pathetic, smug brat," the Demon King spat. If they could see his face, it would certainly reflect anger. "I've been watching you practically your entire life, and the only thing I regret is not having you in my hands sooner." The air around him froze. The villain rushed toward Bakugou with incredible speed. 

"No!" Izuku cried, his hand extending itself, a black whip answering his call and binding the criminal, who found himself just a step away from a stunned Katsuki, who fell on his ass. 

"Bakugou!" Kirishima, overcoming his terror, ran to his aid. 

All for One began to struggle in his bonds, the chains of the black whip snapping one after another. 

"We have to help Deku!" Uraraka screamed. 

"No!" Midoriya protested, gritting his teeth and tightening his grip on the villain. "Get out of here, everyone! Now!" 

"Midoriya!" Iida protested. 

"I can't hold him for long! Go away, this isn't your fight, this is mine!" Izuku insisted. He knew how ruthless All for One could be, seeing fragments of memories of previous holders in his dreams, and he would never allow his classmates to face him in battle. They were too precious to him, his first true friends, his loyal comrades. Even if he's wounded, even if he's weakened by battle, Deku will never let his friends get hurt. 

"Why did you interfere with me, Midoriya Izuku?" the Demon King asked him, in the tone of a parent scolding a disobedient child. "Don't you want to punish that worm who ruined over ten years of your life just because of his selfishness?" 

"Shut up!" Midoriya barked at him, clenching his fists. "Who are you to decide for me what I feel or don't feel for Bakugou?! You know nothing about me, villain, and I won't fall for your mind games!" 

"You're mistaken, little Izuku. I know everything about you, absolutely everything," the villain refuted, his tone oddly gentle. 

"Nonsense!" Izuku tried to rationalize his enemy's words. "Why would you suddenly be interested in the life of someone as worthless as you consider me? You probably started snooping around after you was freed from Tartarus, trying in vain to find my weak spot, just like you did with Nana Shimura, All Might, and the other holders! You won't succeed, All for One, I won't fall for your dirty tricks!" Midoriya leaped toward the Demon King, his hand charged with the full power of One for All. "Pseudo 100%: Detroit Smash!" 

The full force of the Quirk crashed down on All for One, the shockwave sending his classmates flying and cracking the stone beneath his feet. However, the villain didn't even flinch. Only his mask cracked, revealing short, white curls and one eye with a completely white pupil and a scar crossing his left eyebrow. Izuku was pierced by horror, All for One had somehow restored his face. 

"Not bad, Izuku Midoriya, but not enough." Sparks seemed to dance in the villain's empty eyes. He effortlessly broke free of the black whip's bonds and raised his hand. "Blowback." 

Midoriya was pushed back, barely able to stop his tired, frail body mid-flight, using a combination of Seven's Quirk and the black whip, which he used to cling to the nearest building. 

"We need to help Midoriya, he can't do it alone!" "Shoto sent a block of ice towards the villain, but he easily shattered it with a wave of his hand. 

"The line's down, the villain's jamming it somehow, I can't reach the pros!" Iida said, trying in vain to revive his phone. 

"We'll handle this ourselves!" Katsuki barked. That bastard... How did he know what was going on between him and Deku? 

"Obviously, you still can't handle One for All, but that's no surprise. That blond buffoon should never have given you that Quirk. You weren't prepared for its power, just look at what it did to your body," All for One continued babbling. 

"You talk too much, fossil!" Bakugou instantly appeared at his side, grinning wildly, explosions crackling in his hands. 

All for One didn't look the least bit impressed by the unexpected attack. A colossal explosion thundered, but when the smoke cleared, it became clear the blow hadn't harmed the villain, who had managed to hide behind a barrier. The Demon King merely pointedly brushed the ash from his clothes. "Ah, Bakugou, you're just the one I need," All for One pulled Katsuki toward him with some kind of telekinetic Quirk, grabbed him by the neck, and squeezed hard. 

"Ka-chan!" Izuku exclaimed, rushing to his classmate's aid. 

The villain shook his finger at Midoriya. Deku froze a meter away. "Stay put, Midoriya Izuku, or I'll break the boy's neck," All for One pointedly squeezed Bakugou's throat harder. Katsuki sobbed pitifully. "That goes for the others too. Be reasonable, kids. You don't want your classmate to die, do you?" The villain turned his head to Izuku's classmates, who were about to rush into battle. 

"Let him go, All for One! You want me, not him!" Izuku said, clenching his trembling fists. This is a hostage situation, we need to act carefully and, most importantly, quickly. Kaa-chan doesn't have much time before he suffocates. 

"I disagree," the villain tilted his head to the side. "I have a personal score to settle with the boy." The Demon King's soulless white eyes narrowed. 

"What do you want from him?!" Midoriya's despair grew. Why had All for One decided to target Kaa-chan? Time was running out; he had to think of something quickly, anything. Think, Deku, think! 

"I don't like it when people I care about are hurt," the villain explained. "Maybe you, Izuku, will forgive him for everything that happened, but I won't. I will make Katsuki Bakugo pay in full." Red and black flashes danced on All for One's hand. Then the villain released his grip on Katsuki, and he began to fall to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. Izuku managed to catch his classmate before he hit his head on the hard stone. 

"Ka-chan, are you okay?" Izuku's only thought was that his friend would be okay, and that All for One hadn't done something irreparable. 

"Izuku, my Quirk, that bastard... he took it," Katsuki whispered, his voice completely broken. He was a Quirkless, pathetic weakling, a burden to everyone else. That monster had taken away his only value. 

Midoriya's eyes clouded with anger. The previous holders tried to stop him, saying All for One was deliberately provoking him, but Deku wouldn't listen. How dare this villain take something so valuable? Izuku cried out furiously and lunged at All for One, punching him, but trying not to hit him with full force so as not to injure his nearby classmates, who had already run up to Katsuki. "Why did you do that?!" the villain caught his raised fist mid-air. 

"I decided this was a fitting punishment," All for One smirked. "Bakugou bullied you for years just because you're Quirkless. Let's see how he feels in your place." 

"Don't drag my classmates into your dirty games, All for One! Your fight is with me!" Izuku gritted his teeth. What was this monster planning? Why would he need Ka-chan's Quirk? And why does he keep mentioning the bullying Izuku suffered? Deku shook his head. None of it mattered; the villain was just trying to confuse him. 

"Calm down, little Izuku. I won't fight you. You're in no condition right now, and I prefer not to fight family members." 

"Family?" Midoriya paled. A memory that belonged to someone else flashed briefly through his mind. He saw the First lying limp in All for One's arms, a hole in his chest, while the Third dragged the struggling Second away. "Your only family is long dead, villain. Because of your actions, your brother died!" 

A flash of pain flashed in the enemy's eyes for a moment, but he quickly composed himself, squeezing Izuku's fist tightly in his massive palm, preventing him from moving. "Ah, so Yoichi and his short-sighted followers didn't tell you the truth. How impolite of them," the villain hissed contemptuously, "and my little brother still calls me a manipulator." 

Izuku was completely perplexed by All for One's words and actions. Judging from conversations and fragments of memories of previous wielders, the villain was usually ruthless and always attacked first, trying with all his might to take One for All. Sometimes he used hostages, often even close holders, anything just to get his younger brother's quirk back, but for some reason he openly coddled Midoriya. Why? Deku tried not to think about the Demon King's own words. It was impossible: his mother was an ordinary housewife, and his father... Izuku remembered nothing about him, except that he worked abroad and had Fire Breathing as a Quirk. 

"What do you want?" Midoriya frowned. "Why did you come if not to fight me?" 

"I just want to help you reach your full potential," All for One said in a sickeningly sweet tone, his visible white eye looking at Izuku with undisguised adoration that sent shivers down his spine.

"Help?" Deku spat angrily. "Why would you suddenly want to help me?" 

“I’ll tell you everything in due time,” the smile disappeared from the villain’s face, he looked… scared? "For now... Hisashiburi, Izuku." 

It was as if a switch had flipped in Midoriya's head. His mind was flooded with a multitude of memories he hadn't remembered until now. 

*** 

"Help!" his mother cried, hiding under the blanket. 

"I'm here!" little Izuku ran into the room in All Might's jumpsuit, ready for battle. 

"Ah, my precious son. You cannot thwart my evil plans!" said a massive figure, emerging from the shadows. It was his father—a tall man with curly white hair, a scar over his left eye, familiar diamond-shaped freckles, and green eyes, the same as the ones All for One was currently looking at him with. 

"Let go of Mom, Demon King!" the boy struck an epic pose. 

"Haha, I'll never let go of Princess Inko, Green Might!" his father belched purple flames from his mouth, wrapping himself in a makeshift cloak made from sheets. "You'll have to fight me!" 

"Take that!" Izuku began pounding his father's legs with his tiny fists. 

"Oh no! I'm defeated!" Hisashi cried theatrically, falling to the floor. 

"My hero!" Inko rushed to shower her son with kisses. 

"Mom!" Izuku laughed. Then the boy ran up to his father, climbed onto his massive chest, and said, "I'll give you back your heart, Demon King, and you'll be my dad again." 

Hisashi was surprised at first, looking into his son's childish, innocent eyes, but then a faint smile crossed his face, and tears glistened in his eyes. "Thank you, Izuku, you're my hero," his father hugged his son. 

In that moment, Izuku felt loved more than ever. 

*** 

Four-year-old Izuku sat in front of the monitor, watching his favorite All Might video over and over again, the tears on his face long dry, all his emotions numb. His father stood in the doorway of his room, looking extremely concerned. "Izuku, why aren't you asleep yet? What happened?" Hisashi approached his son. 

"The doctor s-said I don't have," the boy sobbed, " don’t have a Quirk. He said I could never... never be a hero," the tears welled up again. 

"It's all nonsense, Izuku," his father knelt before him and looked him in the eyes. 

"Y-you think... I can be a hero? Without a Quirk?" A faint glimmer of hope flickered within him. 

Hisashi smiled softly and ran his hand through his son's green curls. "You're already a hero, Izuku." 

"Already?" the boy asked, surprised. 

"Yes," his father nodded. "You can't imagine the miserable existence your mother and I led before you came into our lives," Izuku noted the genuine pain that flashed in his father's eyes. "No matter what anyone says, you'll always be my little hero. Quirk or not." 

Izuku snuggled into his father's arms, a warmth blooming in his chest. He was so glad that at least someone believed in him, that someone considered him a hero despite his Quirklessness. 

*** 

Izuku lay on the ground, beaten. His tormentors stood over him, taunting him. "Next time you'll know how to act like a hero, Deku," Ka-chan grinned wickedly, demonstrating the explosion in his hands. 

"Izuku?" came his father's voice from far away, walking home from work in his business suit. 

Katsuki instantly paled. "Shit, it's Deku's old fart of a dad, let's run!" Ka-chan exclaimed, and he and his gang ran away, their heels flashing. 

Hisashi glared at the little hooligans, his eyes seemingly turning completely white for a moment. Then he focused on his son, and his eyes returned to their usual green. His father crouched down in front of the boy and began examining him. "What happened, Izuku? Did those hooligans beat you up?" his voice had a steely edge. 

"I... I wanted to be a hero," Izuku sobbed pitifully. 

Hisashi scooped his son up and held him close. "Hush, hush, little Izuku, everything will be okay," his father consoled the child. "Daddy will protect you." This time, Izuku didn't notice the threat in his father's voice. 

*** 

Memories continued to surface one after another, like a nightmarish kaleidoscope. At the same time, Izuku's body itself felt like it was changing, something inside him was straining to break free, and his hair began to lose its color strand by strand. Past holders screamed in his mind as the door to the locked vault began to open, revealing a familiar figure in the doorway. He clutched his head and stumbled back with a cry of horror. 

His classmates rushed at All for One, believing he had somehow harmed Izuku. 

"Stop," Midoriya held out his hand, trying to stop them. Pain instantly shot through his hands, as if someone had stuck needles into the center of his palms, and then, one by one, all his classmates lost their Quirks. What? The villain took their Quirks? But he didn't even move, continuing to stare at Izuku with his green eyes. Weren't they white just recently? "What did you do?" Midoriya asked, almost in a whisper, looking at his exhausted, helpless classmates lying on the ground. 

"Look at your hands, son," his father All for One replied. 

Izuku swallowed, tore off his gloves, and looked at his hands, trembling with terror. There, right in the center of his palms, were two neat holes, just like All for One's. Just like Shigaraki's during the Battle of Jaku. That very battle when he acquired All for One's Quirk. This meant only one thing—Izuku had never been Quirkless. He should have realized earlier—all this chaos with multiple Quirks, the vague explanations from previous Quirk Holders that One for All couldn't be passed on to a mere human, the Second and Third's refusal to help, All for One's explanation that only his blood relatives could interact with Quirk factors, Izuku's passion for Quirk analysis—it all meant one thing. Izuku Midoriya had had the hidden Quirk of All for One all along. A Quirk passed down to him from his blood relative. From his father. And having just manifested it, Izuku stole the Quirks of all his classmates. 

"No..." Bile rose in his throat, and tears welled in his eyes. "That's impossible! I... I'm Quirkless..." He fell to his knees, staring at his palms in the hope that this was all just a figment of his tired mind, a hallucination, a bad dream, anything but the cruel truth. 

All for One looked at him with pity. "No, Izuku. I'm so sorry," he approached, his hand hovering hesitantly over Izuku's shoulder, but Izuku pushed him away. 

"You sorry?" Midoriya looked at the villain father with incomprehension, tears streaming uncontrollably from his eyes. 

"I never wanted you to inherit my curse. I blocked your quirk and your memories, kept you as far away as possible in the hopes that this power would never awaken, that you could live a normal life, unburdened by my sins," he explained. Then his voice turned icy. "I never imagined that All Might would intervene and give you One for All. I should have prevented it, and I'm sorry I failed." 

Words that were meant to comfort only made it more painful. His own father had blocked his Quirk, forced him to endure the hell of being Quirkless in a world where your worth is determined by your strength, and now he'd even apologized for giving him the chance to achieve the dream he'd cherished since childhood, thanks to All Might. His own father had crushed his aspirations, trampled his hopes and dreams into the dirt. What future could await the son of the world's greatest villain with an enhanced version of his Quirk? The irony! The man who rocked his cradle, the loving parent who always gave him affection and comfort, when his entire world had fallen apart due to a cruel diagnosis, had personally destroyed it all, burned it to the ground. This realization made him howl, sinking to the cold ground. Echoing his tears, the rain intensified, thunder rumbled in the distance. 

All for One looked at their son for a long moment, not daring to come closer. Then he looked off into the distance. "The pros are coming. It's best for me to stay out of their sight for now," the villain knelt down in front of Izuku and whispered, "Find me in One for All when you're ready to talk to me, my son." Then he vanished as suddenly as he had appeared, leaving Izuku alone, shattered into a thousand pieces. 

*** 

All Might parked his car at the edge of the square and then ran out into the pouring rain. He was deeply worried about young Midoriya and the other children from Class 1-A, as none of them had contacted him in a while. Worry gnawed at the remnants of his poor stomach. Something was wrong. Trusting his instincts, Toshinori hurried to the spot where he had last detected the children's signal, but what he saw would haunt him in his nightmares for a long time. In the middle of the square, surrounded by his unconscious classmates, stood his successor, his shoulders hunched. His once-bright green hair was now pure white, and barely noticeable holes were visible in his palms. Then he turned to All Might, and his utterly blank white eyes bored into him. Toshinori's legs buckled, because at that very moment, he did not see young Midoriya before his eyes. Instead, a miniature version of his sworn enemy stood before him. 

Chapter Text

Izuku stood surrounded by his unconscious classmates, the rain pouring down incessantly. He was chilled to the bone. His gaze was blank, detached. Newfound memories mixed with the new sensations of gaining so many Quirks and the guilt of stealing his friends' abilities, obscuring his ability to think clearly. The Vestiges, now including his friends, screamed in his head. There was too much noise, too much. Too much. Too. More than anything, Midoriya wanted the voices in his head to stop, but he didn't know how. 

"Ninth," Uncle Yoichi the First tried to call out. 

"Deku!" Uraraka called. 

"Kid," Banjou shouted. 

"Midoriya!" Todoroki's voice came. 

"Izuku-kun," Nana called out. 

There were too many voices. Too many. It's too loud. Please, let it stop. Let them be quiet. Be quiet. Shut up finally! 

"Young Midoriya?" He didn't even immediately realize that the voice was in reality, not in his mind. The voices in his head quieted slightly. Izuku turned. Behind him stood All Might, looking frightened and unusually pale. When their eyes met, the mentor visibly flinched. "W-what happened, my boy? Why are your classmates unconscious on the ground and... what's wrong with your appearance?" 

Deku blinked, not immediately understanding what was being said. Then he peered into the reflection in the puddle. His hair was absolutely white. As were his eyes. Just like his father, All for One. He looked at his palms again, at the symbol of his curse. A burning lump rose in his throat, but there were no tears left. He had cried it all out, replacing it with a viscous emptiness. "I didn't mean to..." Izuku whispered. "I really didn't mean to take their Quirks. I just... wanted to stop them." 

"What?" All Might looked increasingly frightened. Was he... shaking? "I don't understand, my boy... What happened?" 

"I took their Quirks!" Midoriya exclaimed with uncharacteristic anger. He immediately wanted to take it back. What would his mentor think of him now? He was the son of a monster. He was just as much of a monster, greedy for other people's Quirks. 

"This... this is some kind of mistake," All Might shook his head furiously. "This can't be happening. You're tired and injured, you must have imagined it..." 

"Look at me, All Might!" "Izuku yelled at him, fed up with the denial, his own and others'. “I know I'm not the only one who sees the similarities! All this time there were numerous signs, but we turned a blind eye to them: appearance, behavior, Quirk! I am his son! I am the son of All for One!” 

His mentor recoiled. He looked at him with fear, as if for a moment he saw not the selfless boy who had once fearlessly rushed to the aid of his school bully, but a vicious monster about to pounce on him to tear him apart. He was a monster. Then All might gathered himself, remembering who he was, clenched his fists, and declared with utter confidence, "This changes nothing." 

"Maybe for you, but not for me," Midoriya bowed his head. "I can't... I won't fight my own father." 

"You must," All Might cautiously approached and hesitantly placed a hand on Midoriya's shoulder. "I understand it's hard for you to accept your heritage, young Midoriya, but All for One is the embodiment of evil, and if you don't deal with him once and for all, innocent people will suffer." 

Izuku clenched his fists tightly, a violent tremor wracking his body. The rain grew heavier, as if echoing his bitter emotions. "I understand that. I understand, but still... Still, I can't stop loving him," he admitted in a whisper. 

The mentor remained silent. Unsure what to say, or was he silently condemning his attachment to a monster he hated with all his heart? But can you command the heart? Can you really make someone instantly forget all the warmth and care that a parent gave them, even though they, by a cruel twist of fate, turned out to be a real monster? But to Izuku, he had never been cruel or mean. Not once in his entire life had his father hit him, insulted him, or even raised his voice. On the contrary, he had always been gentle and sensitive, a source of comfort, support, a reliable pillar of strength, right up until the moment he suddenly vanished from his life, blocking all memories of him. 

All Might sighed wearily, instantly aging decades. His blue eyes held nothing but genuine sympathy as he began to speak, "I know it's hard, realizing that everything you believed about your father was a lie, but you will overcome it eventually. I believe you can overcome the consequences of All for One's endless manipulations, for you are a true hero, just like your uncle." 

These words were meant to comfort, but in reality, they only made the pain worse. He felt as if a dagger had pierced his heart. Midoriya jerked away from his mentor. "You... you think he never truly loved me?" A childish vulnerability shone in his whitened eyes. 

"Young Midoriya, I'm sorry to say this, but All for One is incapable of love. Something within him is broken, irreparably twisted; he can only use, take, and manipulate. I'm so sorry you've become his latest victim." 

Izuku doubled over from a sharp pain in the back of his head. As if to counter All Might's words, another memory suddenly surfaced. 

*** 

Nine-year-old Izuku woke abruptly from a nightmare. His breathing quickened, the air coming in sharp gasps, and hot tears stung the corners of his eyes. He rubbed his eyes, trying not to cry. He wanted to be a hero, and heroes don't cry. Izuku curled into a ball, hugged his knees to his chest, and sobbed, recalling the details of a bad dream. In the dream, his father had gone on a business trip and never returned because a monster had killed him. Dreams like these had become common lately, as with each passing year, Hisashi Midoriya returned home less and less often and was absent more and more. He would say that there were some complications at his job that required his presence, and he would always assure him that he would definitely return to help Izuku fill out another notebook with an analysis of quirks for the future. Despite his parent assurances, Izuku blamed himself—he was Quirkless, a burden to society, as the teachers whispered. Maybe his father had finally decided to get rid of this burden... 

The boy shook his head. No, he shouldn't think that. Izuku got out of bed, thinking about drinking some milk and honey so he could go back to sleep. He cracked the door and froze, hearing his parents' voices loudly discussing something in the kitchen. They were arguing again. Lately this has also become something of a habit. His parents, of course, didn't do it in front of him; on the contrary, in front of Izuku, his mom and dad pretended to be the perfect, loving couple, but several times he woke up in the middle of the night to their screams. This pretense hurt him; he wanted to know what was really going on with their family, but as soon as he appeared in their line of sight, they immediately stopped arguing. Firmly determined to find out what was going on this time, the boy began to listen to the conversation. 

"We can't keep this from Izuku forever," his mother said. "Sooner or later, one of us will slip up, and he will find out everything. We must tell him the truth." 

Izuku held his breath. What were they talking about? What truth are they hiding from him? 

"It's the only way to protect him, Inko!" his father protested. "No matter what happens, he mustn't know who we are and what power sleeps within him!" 

Power? What power could sleep within a useless, Quirkless boy? 

"It hurts me to watch him suffer. He's being bullied at school, Hisashi, and everyone turns a blind eye to it because he's Quirkless," his mother said between sobs. Was she crying? The boy didn't want her to worry about him; he wanted to be like his dad and All Might—someone you could always rely on, who faced the world with a fearless smile. 

His father sighed heavily. “It's better than the alternative. Or have you forgotten what they did to us, how they turned us into living weapons, burning out everything human? Do you wish that fate on Izuku?” 

What? A living weapon? His parents? Questions continued to swarm in his head like a swarm of restless bees. Izuku peered into the kitchen through the crack in the door. He needed to know more, much more. Judging by what he'd already heard, his parents really were keeping a lot from him. 

"Of course not! That's why we have to fight! Together. Listen, you and I are the most powerful of the Numbers, we can fight him back," Inko squeezed her husband's hand. 

Hisashi looked at her with unimaginable sadness and weariness, then shook his head. "It won't work. I've tried to fight him before, and he's always won. Always." 

"So you've given up?!" A dangerous glint unfamiliar to the boy appeared in his mother's eyes. "Will you let him continue to control you like an obedient puppet?!" 

"Not at all. I..." Father lowered his head in shame, then quietly admitted, "I'm working on something; I might be able to get rid of him for good." 

"You mean that Shimura boy you're brainwashing?" Inko snorted contemptuously. There was a long pause. Hisashi looked as stunned as he was ashamed. Izuku momentarily forgot how to breathe. His father was doing what? The boy shook his head sharply. It couldn't be what it seemed. Hisashi Midoriya couldn't be a villain. "Yes, I know all about your experiments, Hisashi. Did you really think you could hide it from me? Have you forgotten who I am and what I'm capable of?" Then Mom sighed wearily. "You always try to hide your monstrosity, but you don't have to do that with me, Hisashi. I'm not your brother. I understand, don't approve, but understand. Understand, there's no darkness in you that could push me away. Ultimately, we are the same in nature. Monsters. Both of us." 

Dad shook his head. "I'm much worse than you. You're just a victim of an experiment, Inko, and I'm a real monster. Just like Father." 

"That's not true," Inko touched her husband's cheek. "You could have killed me that day, but instead you spared me, freed me from my Master. You're not a bad person by nature, Hisashi. You act badly because you're scared and desperate, I can see it in your eyes." 

"That's no excuse!" He snapped. "If Izuku finds out who we are, what we did, what I did, do you think he'll understand?! He's not like us, like me, he's just an innocent child, and we're putting him in danger with our selfishness!" 

"What do you mean?" Mom visibly tensed. 

Dad ran a hand through his unruly white curls and then said, "I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and I've come to the conclusion that he'll be better off without me." With these words, he rose from his chair. 

Izuku's heart sank. His nightmare was becoming reality before his eyes. His father wanted to abandon him. He didn't understand why. Dad wasn't bad, he wasn't a monster, Izuku knew that, but why did dad think otherwise? 

"That's not true, Hisashi!" Mom tried to convince his father. "He loves you; his heart would be broken if you simply disappeared from his life." 

"If I stay, I'll only ruin him," he slumped. "Understand, Inko, we should never have started a family; it was a mistake from the start. We're not capable of creating life, only ruining it. If we let Izuku stay with us, we'll ruin him with our darkness," Hisashi bowed his head, then finished quietly, "just like we ruined our loved ones before." 

"Hisashi, please..." Inko clutched the hem of his shirt. Her jade eyes were filled with pain and despair; she looked like a drowning woman begging for salvation. However, the one who was supposed to save her ended up drowning her with his cruel words. "We're monsters, Inko. All we get to do is live with our pain and our misery. That's all we deserve." 

His mother fell to the floor, sobs wracking her tiny body. It seemed his father's words, whatever they meant, had deeply wounded her. Izuku had always known his father could crush a person with words alone, but he'd never imagined his parent would use those skills on his mother. The boy sobbed, his fragile little body shaking with sobs. His family was crumbling before his eyes. 

Hisashi Midoriya, meanwhile, put on his white jacket, typed something on his phone, and, without looking at his sobbing wife, continued, "Say goodbye to Izuku for me. Tell him I'm going to work abroad if he asks about my absence. And Inko," he finally looked at his inconsolable wife, "if you want to keep Izuku's love, then kill the monster inside you. Don't let him see your darkness, keep it locked away. I'll make sure your past stays buried."

Suddenly, darkness swirled around his father, and then a portal opened, and he disappeared into it. Stunned and terrified by what he'd just heard, Izuku, without a second thought, threw open the door and rushed after him through the closing portal. "Izuku?" His mother was horrified, wiping tears from her cheeks, and then shouted after him, "Izuku, stop!" But it was too late, and the portal closed behind him. 

The boy found himself in some unknown, dark corridor; his father had already disappeared around the next corner. Izuku rushed after him. His father's phone rang in his pocket, but he immediately hung up. It must have been his mother. Hisashi entered a room with a bunch of monitors, sighed heavily, and sank into a chair, holding his head in his hands. 

"Dad?" "Izuku shuffled hesitantly into the room. 

"Izuku?" His father looked up and instantly paled. "W-what are you doing here? You should be home, in your bed." His green eyes darted wildly, looking on the verge of a panic attack. 

 "Please don't leave me, Dad!" the boy pleaded, tears streaming down his face. "I obviously don't know a lot about you, but I know for sure you're not a monster, and you'll never hurt me!" 

"Oh, Izuku," Hisashi knelt before his son and hugged him. "If only that were true." He looked into Izuku's eyes. "Every time I'm near you, I put you in danger, little one. I'm so..." His voice trembled, "scared for you. I'm afraid you'll be taken away from your mother and me, afraid you'll end up like me." 

"Who's going to take me? What are you talking about?" Izuku pulled away. "Who are you, Dad? Who are you really?" The boy frowned. "Certainly not the simple businessman and Quirk analyst you present yourself to others." 

His father was about to reply when an alarm sounded. The entire building lit up red, and people around him began to scurry, scattering in all directions. Hisashi Midoriya rose from his knees and glanced at the monitors. "Not him... Not now," Hisashi whispered, clutching his head. 

"What's going on, dad?" Izuku began shaking his head from side to side, trying to make sense of what was happening. 

His father's gaze snapped to him. "Izuku, you have to hide." He grabbed his son by the shoulders, his hands shaking. The boy had never seen his father so scared. "I'll get you out of here, I swear on my life, but for now, keep quiet. No one can know you're here." 

Izuku wanted to ask why, but he was interrupted by a painfully familiar voice echoing down the hallway. "All for One! I know you're here, come out, coward, enough of this hide-and-seek!" It was the voice of his idol. The voice of All Might. And from the way his father tensed at the mention of a certain All for One, the boy could tell the number one hero had come specifically for him. The question remained: why? 

"Hide, Izuku, right now!" his father barked at him in a low voice. 

Izuku obediently hid under the table. His father sighed, plastered a fake smile on his face, and left the room, remembering to lock the door, but even through the wall, the boy could sense All Might's fury directed at his father. "All Might, what a pleasant surprise," his father said with feigned joy, but Izuku could hear the tremor in his voice. Hisashi Midoriya was scared, but he tried to hide it. “Why didn't you warn me about your arrival? I'd have made some tea for you when you got here.” 

"Stop being sarcastic, villain. Your reign of tyranny is over, you're surrounded, there's no escape. Today you die! Detroit Smash!" A roar was heard, the building shook, plaster began to crumble from the ceiling, but judging by the sound of his father's heavy breathing, he withstood the blow of the number one hero. 

Izuku was completely confused. His father was a villain? And he knew All Might personally, judging by the latter's fury. The number one hero had come to kill his dad. But heroes only killed when a villain actively threatened civilian lives and refused to surrender, and even then, it was only as a last resort. However, All Might hadn't even tried to persuade his father to surrender; on the contrary, he had directly declared his intention to kill him, meaning he was certain he wouldn't surrender. How dangerous is Hisashi Midoriya that the Symbol of Peace himself is willing to stain his hands with blood? Judging by the fact that dad withstood a Detroit Smash—one of All Might's strongest moves—he's at least an S-Class villain. 

"Stupid, short-sighted buffoon, you have absolutely no idea what's happening, clouded by your own thirst for imaginary retribution!" his father growled, and the sound of collapsing walls was heard. Dad... knocked All Might back? But where did he get such power? Isn't his Quirk Fire Breath? "You think this is some stupid comic book where all problems will be solved with my death? You're as much of a fool, incapable of seeing beyond your own nose, as your mentor, Nana Shimura!" 

"Shut your fucking mouth!" "The Symbol of Peace exclaimed. The building shook again, but with even greater force, the walls cracked. Hisashi screamed, and then his voice faded away. It seemed All Might had struck him and sent him flying across the building. 

Izuku cringed. Despite his fascination with heroes and All Might in particular, he never wanted to find himself in the thick of the battle. Especially knowing that the villain the number one hero was so desperately trying to crush was his father. 

"Toshinori, calm down, All for One is deliberately trying to irritate you!" came a voice unfamiliar to Izuku, a noticeably hoarse voice belonging to an old man. "Don't be stupid, don't give in to your emotions!" 

"I know!" All Might barked back. Then a sharp gust of wind blew down the hallway; it seemed the Symbol of Peace and his partner had rushed after his father. 

For a moment, a deafening silence reigned in the room. The boy desperately wanted to look outside and find out what was going on, whether his father was still alive, but he didn't want to cause his father any unnecessary trouble, so he sat quietly. After a while, the distinct shuffling of shoes on the floor could be heard from the door; someone was rapidly approaching him. 

"Search everything here!" an unknown man ordered. 

 "What if we run into people?" the woman asked. 

"We can't risk information leakage; anyone found must be eliminated on the spot," replied the same man, who was apparently the leader. “Remember, this is All for One's base; only villains and criminals can be here. None of this monster's accomplices deserve to live! Disperse!” 

"Yes, sir!" the others responded in unison. 

Izuku felt himself growing cold. A shudder shook his body, and tears welled up in his eyes with renewed intensity. These people, whoever they were, were going to kill him, kill him simply because he was connected to his father and was in the wrong place at the wrong time... 

The doorknob turned; someone was trying to get in, but they couldn't, as his father had wisely locked the door. That would give the boy some time before he was discovered. Izuku's head began to dart around, trying to find some way out, but there was nothing; even the vents were too small for him to squeeze through. There was no way out. He heard the grinding of the lock; someone was forcing the door open from the other side. Izuku cowered, covering his mouth with his hands, his heart pounding in his chest. After what seemed like an eternity, he heard a click, and the door opened. A tall soldier entered the room, a rifle in his hands, horns visible on his head. In the dim light of the red lamps, he seemed to Izuku like a demon come for his soul. Just as the soldier slowly began to approach, the boy felt a foul taste in his mouth. Was he going to vomit? Anything but that. Izuku tried in vain to suppress the vomit, but it was no use, and the muck he tasted on his tongue spilled out with a hoarse cough. The soldier raised his weapon and peered under the table, but suddenly the boy was transported to a completely different place. 

A teleportation Quirk? But who...? Izuku had no time to think about it; he had been teleported miles from the ground. The boy began to plummet. He screamed in terror, but suddenly someone caught him in his arms. "Don't worry, little Izuku, I got you," his father said, holding him tightly to his massive chest with one arm. 

"Da...!" — The joyful cry died in its infancy when Izuku saw the state his father was in. All his clothes were torn and dirty, his face was caked with blood, and his right arm was missing all the way to the elbow. The boy felt bile rise in his throat, real this time. 

"Don't look, little one," his father hugged him tighter to his chest. "I'm sorry I couldn't get you sooner, that blond buffoon turned out to be stronger than I thought. But he's no longer a problem," Hisashi's voice was icy. 

"W-what did you do to him?" Izuku asked quietly. 

"I did what I had to, to protect you, Izuku," his father replied, his gaze distant, his usually green eyes completely white. Izuku was shaking not so much from the cold air as from fear. He didn't recognize his beloved father in this terrifying monster. 

His father sighed heavily, wincing in pain and spitting out blood. It looked like he had some internal injuries, among other things. Perhaps broken ribs and at least one punctured lung? "I know he's your idol, Izuku, but please don't hate me for trying so hard to protect you," Hisashi hugged the boy even tighter, either trying to comfort him or shielding him from the cold air that blew through their unruly hair as they raced through the night sky at incredible speed. "Those people, the ones who came with All Might, they wouldn't have spared you, even though you're just a child. The fact that you're connected to me is enough for them to shoot you like a rabid dog without trial." 

"And All Might? Would he too...?" The boy swallowed hard, hesitating to finish his question. 

"I don't know, little one, but I wouldn't risk it, not with your life on the line," his father shook his head. 

"Who are you?" Izuku looked into his parent's newly green eyes. "What's your Quirk?" 

"You want to ask about my Quirk? Now? You really are my son," Hisashi chuckled, a genuine smile this time gracing his face. 

"I've never seen such a versatile Quirk!" Izuku's eyes lit up, despite his horror. Quirks had always been his passion, and his father's Quirk was simply incredibly intriguing! What is it?" "Fire breathing, power sufficient to rival All Might, resilience enough to withstand his attacks, teleportation, speed, and flight. Your abilities seem beyond the realm of fantasy! Is it something like the Star and Stripes Quirk? The ability to conjure up any power you desire?" 

Hisashi snorted. "A good guess, but it's not the right one. The truth is, Izuku, I don't have just one Quirk; I have a vast number of them." 

"What?" the boy's eyes widened. "How is that possible? Can one person have more than one Quirk? How can there be so many? Wouldn't that make your brain melt? Did you always have so many Quirks, or did they develop over the years? Do you have mutations in your arsenal? Mutations are cool!" he began to mutter furiously. 

His father laughed heartily, then doubled over, coughing up blood. He wiped the blood from his lips and began to calmly explain, "My original Quirk is called All for One. I can take, use, and transfer other people's Quirks, so no, I wasn't born with multiple Quirks, but I've always been able to use several Quirks at once without turning into a mindless zombie. My Quirk also has a limit on the number of meta-abilities it can accept, but I've learned to bypass my limitations. And yes, I have mutation Quirks. If we both get out of here alive, I'll definitely show you all of them." 

"So you're the villain rumored on the dark web!" Izuku exclaimed. 

"Have you been surfing the dark web again?" His father frowned. "I thought your mom and I set child controls on the computer after the last time."  

"I may have cracked the password," the boy admitted sheepishly, looking away. 

His father gave him a very displeased look, the kind that usually meant he wouldn't see a computer for a month. Then Hisashi shook his head. "If I manage to get out of this mess alive, I swear we'll have a serious talk about this, young man. How did you even crack the password?" 

"Pfft," Izuku snorted, "The_Demon_King_rules!!! isn't a very good password, dad." 

"Next time, your mom will be the one making up the password," Dad muttered under his breath. 

The boy meanwhile became quiet. One thought kept swirling in his head, nagging at him. He needed to know. "Dad," Izuku quietly addressed his father. 

"What's wrong, little one?" Hisashi became wary. 

"Why..." the boy swallowed. “Why didn't you give me a Quirk? You could have done it, right? Why didn't you? You know... my classmates, my teachers, everyone except you and my mother, were cruel, calling me a useless invalid, a dead weight. I... I was in pain!” Ever since he was diagnosed as Quirkless, his world had literally collapsed. People around him either treated him with disdain or pity, considering Izuku inferior. And now, it turns out, his father could have easily fixed it, but he didn't. It hurt the boy; he wanted to know why his parent had been so cruel. 

"Izuku, I..." Dad was about to say something, but a powerful gust of wind cut him off, knocking them both down. Hisashi barely avoided falling straight into the nearest building. 

"All for One!" All Might roared furiously, hot on their heels. 

Izuku glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. The hero, like his father, was covered in blood and dirt, with a particularly large amount of blood leaking from his left side. Was that entrails? The sight of it made him sick. 

"Damn, that idiot turned out to be even more stubborn than I thought," his father gritted his teeth and tried to speed up as much as possible. 

"Dad..." the boy grew worried. Was the Symbol of Peace seriously planning to kill them both? 

“Don’t worry, little Izuku, everything’s fine, I’ll get you out of here, but I need my hand,” Hisashi smiled encouragingly at his son. He always did that, smiling and telling him everything was fine, that he would be protected, but now Izuku found it hard to believe everything would end well. Dad grabbed him by the scruff of his pajamas with his teeth, like he was a kitten. Having freed his only arm, his father first turned and sent a blast of compressed air at his pursuer. A deafening shattering of glass was heard, and All Might was sent flying into the nearest building. Hisashi spread his palm, and then Izuku felt the unpleasant taste in his mouth again; this time, he didn't resist the urge to vomit. A moment later, Izuku found himself at the edge of Mustafu Park. Then he heard his father's voice in his head, "Izuku, can you hear me?" 

"Dad? You have a telepathic Quirk?" the boy was surprised. Why would his dad even need such a Quirk? 

Hisashi chuckled in his head. "It's useful for giving orders to your subordinates and reading their minds, or in a situation like this, but that's not the point right now. You should stay put and keep a low profile. I managed to send a message to your mother; she'll be arriving soon, accompanied by one of my subordinates. Only move if you're in danger. Do you understand me, little one?" 

"Yes, dad," the boy nodded, though he knew his father wouldn't see. He hid behind the dumpsters and waited patiently. Somewhere in the distance, sounds reminiscent of thunder could be heard, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Izuku suspected they were echoes of the battle between All Might and his father. 

"Okay, I'll try to get that blonde gorilla away from you," Hisashi breathed heavily in his mind. He was exhausted, which wasn't surprising given his blood loss. 

"You'll come back, right? You'll escape All Might, get better, and then come home, right?" Izuku knew this was wishful thinking, knew things would never be the same, that his family would never be the same again, but he simply couldn't, he didn't want to accept a reality where his father (and most likely his mother, too) was a villain. He desperately wanted his dad to calm him down, to smile, and tell him everything would be okay, just like he always did. 

"I A-a-a...!" his father screamed, and then the connection was lost, and no matter how many times Izuku called, there was no answer. 

All he could do was sit still and wait. The sounds of battle gradually drew closer, despite his dad's assurances that he would lead All Might away. There was a loud bang, and two figures landed on the opposite side of the park. Dust rose, flames erupted, and the clash of blows caused nearby car sirens to wail furiously and shattered building windows. The boy cowered, watching in horror. This wasn't the first battle between a hero and a villain he'd seen, but he couldn't remember a battle so bloodthirsty. All Might, the number one hero, the Symbol of Peace, seemed like a bloodthirsty monster, and his father matched him in brutality. This wasn't a battle between a hero and a villain, but a true clash between two monsters. All Might attacked his father with a relentless barrage of blows, the hero breathing heavily and spitting out blood, but even with a serious wound, he showed no sign of stopping. Strike. Another, and then another, but his father stubbornly remained standing, blocking the Symbol of Peace's attacks with his own body. All Might began to tire, but Hisashi Midoriya continued to absorb all the damage without moving an inch. Was he protecting Izuku? Waiting? Or both? The boy soon got his answer. As the number one hero slowed down, his father transformed his arm into something terrifying and monstrous. With one blow, he sent All Might flying, and he rushed after him, a terrifying grin on his face, laughing like a vicious maniac the entire way. "You will not take from me what is most precious to me, you pathetic buffoon who decided to play hero! You will die by my hand here today, All Might!" Izuku heard his father's furious cry, followed by a blow that reduced the entire park to rubble. 

When the dust cleared, All Might was barely standing, and his father raised his only hand for the finishing blow. For a moment, Izuku saw the image of Hisashi Midoriya killing the Symbol of Peace with his own hands, and the image filled him with such disgust that he almost vomited. His father was a monster. A true monster. And all to protect him. Tears streamed from his eyes, burning his cheeks. He didn't want to watch the unfolding horror, but, mesmerized, he couldn't look away. 

"Dad, don't!" Izuku screamed at the top of his lungs at the last moment. 

Surprisingly, even though he and All Might were on the opposite side of the park, his father seemed to hear him. The monstrous hand froze right in front of the hero's face at the last moment. Hisashi Midoriya looked in the direction where Izuku was hiding. Even from a distance, the boy could see his father's spirit collapse, losing all will to fight, looking at him tear-stained and trembling with fear. All Might took advantage of the moment and, with all his remaining strength, struck his father in the stomach. Dad spat out blood and fell to his knees, exhausted. 

"Your tyranny is over, All for One! You will never hurt anyone again!" the hero pinned his father to the ground with his boot. 

The boy watched in horror, unable to believe it was real. All Might, his idol, was seriously planning to kill his father, and he was already raising his fist for the finishing blow. Izuku felt terrible. Yes, he didn't want his father to become a monster in his eyes, but he also didn't want to see him die. This was all his fault. If he hadn't recklessly jumped into the portal after his father, maybe this battle wouldn't have happened at all? Panic began to grip him, an all-consuming fear literally choked him, but then, suddenly, the boy heard his father's voice in his head again. "It's okay, Izuku. Please don't blame yourself for anything; this is my retribution for my sins. I was a true monster, but I'm glad I was able to be your hero for a little while at the end, my precious son." Hisashi smiled at his son one last time, before a crushing blow fell upon him. 

Izuku was literally speechless as he watched his idol punch his father through the head. The boy didn't move, didn't even seem to breathe. Frozen and simply watched. Watched as All Might fell exhausted to his knees before his father's motionless body. Everything suddenly went silent, there were no sounds, no feelings, nothing but deafening silence. His entire world had just collapsed in an instant. His villainous father had just died protecting him from the Symbol of Peace itself. How could his entire perception of the world collapse in just one moment? The world around him suddenly seemed horribly wrong, twisted. Evil. Izuku had learned since he was four that the world was unfair and not all people were equal, but the lesson he learned today was incomparable. This world wasn't just unfair. It was hopelessly broken. Just like Izuku was right now. This wasn't supposed to be like this! Heroes shouldn't kill villains who were simply protecting their loved ones! This is all wrong! His father didn't deserve to die! 

"Izuku," he didn't notice how a portal opened behind him, and his worried mother, clad in strange armor, ran out. The boy didn't answer, continuing to stare at the horrific scene before him. Tears fell silently, drenching the cold asphalt beneath his bare feet. "Izuku, little one, let's go home quickly, you're frozen solid. Why did you run away? My heart nearly stopped when you disappeared through that portal!" his mother fussed around him. "Why are you alone? Where's your father?" 

"Mom... Dad, he protected me and... and..." Izuku sobbed, pointing with a trembling hand toward the battlefield. 

Inko looked in the direction indicated and froze, then fell to her knees, exhausted. Tears welled in her jade eyes, but she quickly blinked them away, not daring to show her son her grief. "Oh, little one, I'm so sorry," she hugged the boy, shielding the horrific scene with her body. "Let's go before they notice us," his mother tugged him toward the swirling portal. 

“But dad…” Izuku weakly protested. 

"Izuku, listen, your father died protecting you. Don't let his sacrifice be in vain," Inko grabbed her son by the shoulders. "If the heroes catch us now, we'll both be killed on the spot. I won't let that happen. If necessary, I'll kill hundreds and thousands to keep you safe. I know your father would have done the same." There was a coldness, even cruelty, unfamiliar to the boy in her words. Was this woman really his eternally anxious, hyper-emotional mother? Did he even know her? What did he know about his parents until now? What did he know about the world around him? Izuku thought his parents were good people, but they turned out to be villains, capable of anything to protect him. He thought heroes were good, that they saved people with a fearless smile, not brutally killed desperate villains. His world crumbled to dust, and he didn't know how to move. All he could do was watch his idol collapse exhausted next to his father's body while his mother dragged him toward the portal.

*** 

"Midoriya, my boy, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?” In the present, All Might knelt before him, a worried expression on his face. 

Izuku recoiled from him in horror. He was shaking, but he couldn't tell if it was from fear or cold. 

“What's happened?” His mentor tried to approach him again, but Deku continued to back away, unable to shake the image of his idol brutally killing his father from his mind. "You suddenly grabbed your head and fell. Are you alright, young Midoriya?" 

"I was there," Izuku muttered, his voice choked. 

"Where, my boy? I don't understand," All Might visibly frowned. 

“That night when you fought with my… With All for One in Mustafu, I was there. All for One,” he shook his head, “no, my father, he… he protected me, that’s why he lost that battle. I saw with my own eyes how you killed him in cold blood...” 

All Might visibly paled, recoiling from him. Guilt and shame were etched on his face. "Young Midoriya... Izuku, your father is a monster. I did what was necessary," he said quietly, either trying to convince him, or himself, that he had done the right thing that day. 

"And me?" Izuku looked into his idol's eyes. "My par—" he wanted to say "parents," but stopped himself. "My father said the heroes would have killed me that night, too, if they had found me, if they had known I was connected to him." 

"That's not true!" his mentor exclaimed heatedly. "I would never lay a finger on an innocent child, no matter what their parents were like! Understand, you are not responsible for your father's sins, Izuku!" 

"Even if I attacked you, seeking revenge for him?" His eyes were as cold and empty as All for One's as he looked at All Might. 

All Might was literally speechless at his words. Toshinori couldn't even imagine for a moment that such a bright and kind boy as Izuku could desire revenge. Midoriya, seeing his mentor's hesitation, hung his head. "I don't know what to believe anymore..." He slowly rose into the air. 

"Midoriya, my boy, stop!" All Might tried to pursue him, but Izuku vanished in an instant, leaving him surrounded by the unconscious Class 1-A. The rain showed no sign of stopping anytime soon.