Aizawa's imposing figure loomed over the boy sitting in front of him menacingly. A dark aura seemingly formed around him as he leveled him with a cold glare.

Mineta's arms were folded in his lap, capture weapon looped around his form tightly, nervous now that his earlier bravado had been sucked out. Even so, he still wouldn't admit to having done anything wrong.

It made his blood boil.

Izuku was leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the room, regarding the scene with disinterested eyes. Recovery girl was hovering near him, her eyes trained on the bandages wrapped tightly around his forearm. She hadn't wasted any time using her quirk on him, and yet his wound hadn't healed completely. He'd apparently expended more energy than he had thought.

They were currently standing in Nedzu's office, the rodent safely seated behind his big mahogany desk, looking on in interest as Aizawa ripped into the sticky quirked boy. He had been and still was furious.

Izuku could feel his blood boil as he looked on, images of similar instances happening in the game playing before his eyes. Betrayals such as these were despicable. To sacrifice someone to save one's own skin. It made the hairs on his arms stand on end. The urge to draw his sword got stronger the longer he stewed in his thoughts.

"But it was just a test! It's not like I left him with a real bad guy!" The kid was whining, voice high and annoying as he wailed. "If anything I did Snipe sensei a favor by helping him shoot that villain!"

"The only villainous one in this room right now, is you." Aizawa hissed lowly, seemingly done with talking. He turned to the principal, capture weapon loosening and drawing back around his neck as he moved. "If you don't do it, I will." He stated with no infliction to his voice.

"Very well." The mouse agreed just as softly before speaking more clearly, his words directed at Mineta this time. "We have given you many chances to redeem yourself Mineta-kun. I'm sorry to say that the only possible outcome now is expulsion." He didn't sound sorry at all.

Any protest the boy was going to shout out was quieted as Aizawa whirled around, quirk activated. Man did he look intimidating with his eyes shining crimson. Izuku could feel the smirk forming on his face already.

With a curt dismissal, the brat had been kicked out of the meeting, his parents, who had been waiting outside for a verdict following behind him.

Well, that was that, he figured. Straightening out of his relaxed stance, he moved to take his leave as well. "Before you go, Midoriya," Nedzu called out before he could take a step. "We at UA would like to extend to you our most sincere apologies for this oversight." He continued formally. His hands clasped together joined on his desk. "The purpose of this test was to improve teamwork and eliminate any remaining prejudice, however, things didn't go as we wanted them to, and for that, we are at fault."

"It's okay, Mineta was going to get worse with or without this exercise." He muttered, looking to the door in contemplation. "At least this way, he was caught on camera." With that, he quietly took his leave, aware of Aizawa's eyes following his form the entire way out.

___________________________

A few days passed, and the atmosphere at UA began to shift. Despite the lingering tension from Mineta's expulsion, there was a renewed sense of determination among Class 1-A. They were all eagerly anticipating their upcoming training camp, viewing it as an opportunity to grow stronger both individually and as a team.

One morning, as the students filed into the classroom, Aizawa's typically stoic expression softened ever so slightly.

"Settle down," he began, his voice cutting through the air with its usual no-nonsense tone. "I have an announcement to make. As part of your training, all of you will be attending the upcoming training camp."

A chorus of excited murmurs filled the room, accompanied by a few surprised gasps. Even those who had previously failed the practical exam couldn't contain their excitement.

Aizawa raised a hand to silence the chatter. "Yes, that includes those of you who didn't pass the recent practical exam. Consider this a chance to prove yourselves and make up for your shortcomings."

The students nodded eagerly, determination burning bright in their eyes.

"You have until the weekend to prepare everything you might need for the camp," Aizawa continued. "Make sure you pack appropriately and bring any necessary equipment."

____________________________

As Izuku stepped into the bustling shopping mall, he couldn't help but feel a wave of apprehension wash over him. The fluorescent lights overhead seemed to cast harsh shadows, amplifying the cacophony of voices and footsteps echoing throughout the vast space. It was a stark contrast to the quiet solitude he often found solace in.

He glanced around nervously, his eyes darting from one shop window to another, trying to distract himself from the nagging sense of discomfort.

He huffed quietly to himself, embarrassed to be this nervous given all the experiences he's accumulated over the years, this should be child's play in comparison. And yet, here he was, anxious over a mall trip with his classmates.

Klein would tease him endlessly if he knew.

Izuku knew he should feel grateful for the opportunity to spend time with his classmates outside of the confines of UA. After all, it was a chance to bond with them, to build stronger relationships beyond the battlefield. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling of being an outsider among them, like a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit.

He found himself longing for the familiar camaraderie he shared with his SAO team, or even the easy friendship he cultivated over the last few months with Bakugou, and Todoroki. They may not have been the most sociable of companions, but their presence offered a sense of familiarity and comfort that Izuku sorely missed. Sadly, Todoroki had other plans for the day and Kacchan wouldn't be caught dead hanging out at the mall with friends.

At least, he thought idly, Kirishima and Iida would be here.

Taking a deep breath, Izuku pushed aside his lingering doubts and insecurities, determined to make the most of this opportunity to bond with his classmates. After all, if there was one thing he had learned from his time in Sword Art Online, it was the importance of forging bonds with those around him, no matter how daunting the circumstances may be.

____________________________

Izuku smiled to himself, hearing Kirishima ramble about some workout gear he wanted to buy, humming softly as Ashido exclaimed her enthusiasm to buy some new trainers. The anxiety that had previously plagued him was almost non-existent now as he trailed behind his friends.

A soft, fuzzy kind of apprehension filled his chest as he experienced what one would qualify as a high school hangout.

His eyes trailed off, looking at some storefronts, mentally making a tally of some of the stuff he would need to get. The training camp was going to be harsh if Aizawa's ominous grin was to be trusted.

However, as his gaze wandered he suddenly paused as his eyes caught onto something in one of the stores to his left.

Gulping audibly, he felt his heart drop inside the cavity of his chest, his lungs constricting slightly.

"H-hey guys." He called out distractedly, eyes trained resolutely on his feet, aware of the attention of his two classmates as they turned to face him. "I just remembered I needed something from one of the stores we passed, so you go ahead and I'll catch up."

"Are you sure bro?" Kirishima asked, a slight hint of worry in his tone, red eyes regarding him curiously.

"We could go with you Midori" Ashido offered in turn.

"No, it's alright, I'll meet you guys at the food court later."

"Okay... If you're sure." He smiled reassuringly at them, feeling the expression pull wrongly at his features, fake in its sincerity. The moment the two were a little distance away, it slid off his face like a discarded mask, leaving behind a solemn twist of lips.

Turning back to the store that had caught his eye, he entered, his shoulders hunched with tension. His gaze zeroed on the item that had garnered such a reaction from him.

Despite his every instinct screaming at him that this would be a bad idea, he felt his hands wrap around the item, holding it with a delicate hold.

Feet already leading him to the counter, as if on autopilot.

He walked out of the store with one extra bag in his grip and a heavy feeling in his chest. Fingers almost trembling as he clutches at the plastic handle, anticipation and guilt warring with each other with every step he takes.

It wasn't long, however, before his rumbling thoughts were once again interrupted. A hand wrapping itself around his shoulder, a low, falsely sweet voice muttering in his ear, making him shiver.

"Hey there, beater, funny running into you here."

The urge to flinch and retaliate was strong but the four-fingered grip on his neck made him freeze. His body and mind went into overdrive as he analyzed the situation he'd found himself in.

"Shigaraki."He hissed, voice strained as the fingers tightened around his vocal cords.

"Now, now, let's just stay calm," The villain urged, pushing him toward the center of the mall, crowded and bustling with civilians. "I just wanna talk." Izuku could see the laughing coffin symbol peak out of his sleeve, only emphasizing the severity of the situation.

They settled on the fountain overlooking most of the space around them, his body pressed almost flush against the other's chest.

"What do you want?" He asked, thankful for the false steadiness in his voice.

"No need to be so hostile, we won't have any problems if you behave." An overwhelming smell of ash and decay filled his nostrils as the fingers holding him in place drummed playfully against his skin. "Unless, of course, you wanted this peaceful encounter to turn into a bloodbath."

When Izuku made no move to extract himself, the villain continued. "You see, since I've been out," Of the game was implied. "I've been asking myself a lot of important questions." Izuku tilted his head as much as he could, meeting crimson eyes with his own, feeling shivers of fear and disgust swell inside of him as he spotted the deep hatred in the man's gaze. "What makes this world real, what makes it more important than the one we were living in? Who gets to decide what's real? Why do these 'heroes' get to set the rules of our society." He spat the word heroes like it was made of venom. "I've seen you kill, just as I did, so why is it that they call you a hero and the likes of me get labeled as a villain."

Izuku couldn't find any word to say to that, having had these thoughts himself once, the guilt and regret burning his insides as he questioned his very own morality. Shigaraki must have found something in his silence, for he spoke again, his voice holding an unspoken threat. "Who decides where the lines get drawn in the sand? Could you give me the answers I'm looking for, black swordsman?"

The lines that separate the virtual from reality. The one that designated the difference between good and evil, hero and villain. Quirked and quirkless.

It seems that Izuku himself was a contradiction to all of these concepts. A blur in the lines, one that cut through them, shredding them to pieces.

He was, he realized with mounting trepidation, the blurred lines of society. An anomaly that stood in between the white and the black. Distorting the clear limits and boundaries set by the world.

And so, sitting there, a finger's length away from his own demise, he could suddenly see with clarity how hazy and muddled the rules of the game really were.

However, there was one thing he would never be unclear on. "The difference between you and me, Shigaraki is intent." He spoke firmly, feeling a sudden calm, one that came with clarity, settle over him. "Your intentions, malicious and vengeful, are what draws the line. Your only goal is destruction and chaos and that's what makes us different." Maybe he was talking too much, after all. Maybe his words would be the grain that breaks the camel's back.

He could feel the older man seething in anger, his fingers tightening painfully, cutting the airflow to his lungs. However, as dark spots started filling his vision, he suddenly felt the grip loosen, letting him go abruptly.

"No matter, I have other quests to complete before killing you." A black, swirling void formed behind the villain as he stood. Regarding Izuku's hunched form with a manic glint in his red eyes. "We'll play again soon, Kirito," His grin sent shivers down his spine. "Maybe then you'll realize what you're missing."

As Shigaraki disappeared into the warp gate, Izuku's heart sank like a stone in his chest. The veiled threat lingered in the air, casting a shadow over his thoughts. He stood there, alone in the quiet aftermath, the weight of Shigaraki's words settling heavily upon him.

Little did he know that this ominous warning was just the beginning of a much darker chapter yet to unfold.