A different meeting
Izuku had decided to meet their friends at the mall at a later time. They wanted to spend some time looking at new hero merchandise while also editing their notebooks.
Izuku had begun coding their notebooks and dividing them based on which analysis is for what. They had one set for villains, one for heroes, one for their classmates, and one where they made a list of people who really shouldn’t be heroes. At the top of that list was Endeavor. Now Izuku had yet to actually use that notebook. It wasn’t until Todoroki had revealed to them about what his father had done. That, plus the incident with Stain, forced them to realize that if they wanted to be a hero who saved everybody or at least as many as they could (Izuku was not an idiot, They know there are those they can’t save, but they will try their hardest), then they needed to start changing how the current system worked. The first step was getting Endeavor’s hero license taken and then getting Todoroki away from him. The question was how to go about it legally?
They knew their mom had been building a case against Endickwad for years. Though they didn’t know the exact reason. Unfortunately, he was too high up and connected to the commission that no judge in their right mind would accept the case unless she had tons of evidence.
Izuku cursed that they didn’t have a recording device on them at the sports festival. Quirk marriages were illegal for a reason.
Izuku then began to wonder if U.A. Had cameras, and if so, how good with audio were they? Did the principle know? Or were they just not paying attention? Izuku would need to ask Aizawa Sensei about that later.
‘Hmmm, maybe I should try to find a way for Todoroki to help take him down? Nah, that would require a level four, and he’s only deserved a two so far though more like 2.5.’
“Oh, hey, you’re that kid from the sports festival, right?”
Izuku made a sound of agreement before continuing to furiously scribble in their notebook while mumbling how to ruin the number 2 hero.
“Say do you think I could get your autograph?” The stranger sat in front of them.
Izuku looked up at the stranger. Took in the familiar blue hair—
“Oh, fuck me!” Izuku exclaimed in exasperation
“No, thanks kid, you're not my type and a little too young for me.”
“One week, one week, and I would have won the bet. But nooooo, obviously that’s too much to ask now I owe Uraraka 500 yen,” they ranted
“I’m sorry, what?” Shigaraki was confused. He had wanted to ask the kid some questions and maybe kill or maim him, but he wasn’t expecting this.
“Basically, all of my friends think I’m either a magnet for trouble or have a secondary quirk which attracts villains. I bet one of them 500 yen that I could go a week without anything happening. Now because of you, I’m 500 yen shorter and starting to believe they might be right.” Izuku faceplanted onto the table, groaning.
“I see, so basically instead of being scared of an s-class villain who could not only disintegrate and kill you but also 20 maybe 30 people before the heroes arrived...your laminating over the fact you lost 500 yen,” Shigaraki growled.
“First of all, I’m absolutely fucking terrified. However, I’m running on 3 hours of sleep and laminating over the fact that I might be villain catnip. Secondly, if you were here to kill anyone, you would have done so already, so why are you actually here.” They whined
“I figured we could chat a bit. You seem like a relatively smart guy—“
“Person.” Izuku interrupted, lifting their head up to glare at them.
“Don’t interrupt me.” Shigaraki gripped their hand with one finger raised
“And person?” He quirked his eyebrow up.
“I’m genderfluid, and today I’m non-binary,” Izuku replied, sweating
“Smart person,” He corrected. “So here’s what’s gonna happen. I’m gonna ask you some questions. You’re gonna act calm like I’m an old friend, and I might just leave without taking anyone’s life.” Shigaraki rolled their eyes
Izuku stared at him, looked around for the possibility of a hero being nearby. Saw none and everyone else practicing the bystander effect.
“Yeah, sure, whatever, what’re your questions. You got about 30-40 minutes before my friends show up so we can shop together” Izuku threw their arms in the air in exasperation.
“So basically, I hate everyone and like to destroy what I hate. Right now, what I hate most of all is the fact that everyone seems to be forgetting about the League and seem focused on Stain. Why is that?”
“First of all, was that a reference to Hellsing? Secondly, do you really not pay attention to how the media works?” Izuku asked.
“What do you mean?” He tightened his hand on Izuku’s wrist
“Ok, let me put it this way. The media tends to focus on what’ll sell. What’ll get them the most views. While the attack on the USJ was unprecedented, it wasn’t unexpected.”
“Explain”
“Everyone expects an attack to happen at a hero school at some point. Hell, I'm pretty sure something similar happened a few years back at a different school.”
“Doesn’t everyone expect villains to attack heroes? And even kill them?”
“Yes, but here’s the difference Stain used to be a vigilante. Almost all of the heroes he attacked were already under scrutiny by the public and had done some unheroic things. He lost some fans when he went after Ingenium. Nothing on your attack was hidden while the video of Stain making his speech is continuously taken down and put back. Which makes more people believe he’s right. It helps that he’s not against All Might as well. However, I would have to disagree on him being the ‘perfect hero’” Izuku made air quotations.
“Oh, really now and here I thought you were a total fan-person,” Shigaraki drawled
“Well, yes, but I also know he’s not perfect. I admire what he does and how many people he’s saved but, he’s made mistakes.”
“Such as?”
“Well, while being a symbol of peace can be a good thing short term long term, not so much. If All Might were immortal, I’d say maybe, but then we would have to wonder if he would still be the same person after hundreds of years. However, he’s not immortal, and he is still human. When he retires or dies in action, unless there’s another symbol of peace who can hold the pillar he built, there’s a high possibility it will be chaos for a long while. Crime will spike. People will fall into despair and paranoia.”
Izuku took a deep breath before they continued
“This era of ‘peace’ has created such a large bystander effect in people to the point where instead of a life being saved, it’s lost in some way or another. Granted, it doesn’t help that a lot of people have equated helping someone or preventing a crime is akin to vigilantism.”
Shigaraki stared at Izuku for a long time, making them feel uncomfortable. Then they broke out in a smile and began to laugh.
“Oh wow, heh, you know I thought you were just another NPC obsessed with All Might, but I was wrong. Your more akin a Rouge, aren’t you?” Shigaraki stared Izuku down.
“Though if you know, all of this, why be a hero?”
“I want to save people, as many as I can. But I also want to change how our current system works.”
“You could do that as a villain. Or even a vigilante,” Shigaraki rolled his eyes, tilting his chair back.
“Except no one is going to listen then.”
“I don’t know. I’d say people are listening pretty well to me.”
“Let me rephrase that then. No one is going to listen and keep the changes made if I’m a villain. Once a villain is captured, all of the change they made is reverted back even if it was good.”
“You know kid, you’re really starting to piss me off.”
“You know that’d be intimidating if you were well intimidating,” Izuku snarked
“Now, whose quoting Hellsing?” Shigaraki snorted
Izuku wanted to retort but was interrupted
“Deku? Whose this is he a friend?” Uraraka had come to their table as she spoke. She was cautious with concern that turned to outright fear when she recognized who it was
“No he’s—“
Shigaraki lept from his chair, causing Uraraka to fall to the floor in shock.
“Whoops, my bad well, it was nice seeing you again, don’t follow me or else,” Shigaraki whispered before walking out of the cafe.
Izuku released a breath they didn’t know they were holding.
“Are you ok?” Izuku pulled their friend up
“Yeah, was that Shigaraki?”
“Yeah”
“Should we call the cops?”
“Already did.”
“Cool. Hey Izuku”
“Hmm”
“You owe me 500 yen” she grinned at him
“God fucking dammit Shigaraki,” Izuku swore, making her laugh.