(Author POV)

1 slipped inside the unguarded window a little too easily. It was strange how Bill didn't have a security system, despite being so cautious about everything after the incident. Or maybe he did, and it was just very well hidden. Whatever the reason, there didn't seem to be anyone around, so snooping was possible for now, but they'd have to be cautious and aware of everything. Sensing no danger, 1 walked through the empty halls. A royal red-colored passageway, beautifully decorated with a golden design. 1 didn't take Bill for a swirl type of guy, though there were tiny crowns here and there that made it more fitting.

The first room 1 encountered was a fancy office full of papers and files. Sifting through them, it was apparent that they all had to do with Bill's company. A businessman till the end, huh? Not surprising for him. Application papers for people with quirks that had very little to do with their role were all approved. You'd think the girl with a spider quirk would be a wardrobe worker who helps people find the right gear, but nope! She was in customer service. And then there's that quirkless high-school girl in the daycare. Looks like Bill was planning to create a positive influence on quirkless people for the younger generations. How clever. There was also a girl with a lizard quirk who was taking stock.

The managers had what society nowadays would label "villainous" quirks. Kishi Daisuke had a shadow quirk that let him create shadow creatures, but the creatures themselves were always unsettling in some way or another. They helped him keep an eye on the workers and move heavier objects that others had trouble with, so he was in charge of the team. The shadow beasts, while very grotesque, were a great help. The customer service manager was a woman named Sazama Masami with a reptile quirk that gave her scales and horns. She was usually referred to as a devil (how ironic) for having curved horns, but she was very patient with the customers as most were too busy with their product to care about appearances. And lastly, the manager of the engineering and IT department. Yamasaki Chioko had a mind-reading quirk that helped him figure out exactly what was going on with his coworkers, customers, and fellow managers. The quirk itself was bothersome, as it could not be turned off, but it definitely helped in his field.

Aside from those three special snowflakes, most of the workers were ones who got rejected or fired by other companies for their quirk or lack thereof. Stupid reasons, mainly, but most were just biased claims that made the poor souls into scapegoats. 1 decided that there was nothing else of any importance here aside from the countless papers stacked in organized piles that they wouldn't bother going through. So with a few pictures of company plans and purchase lists, they left to explore the rest of the house.

However, it seems they spent too much time in the office; because the last thing 1 saw before everything turned to black, was a silver-eyed butler in a fancy suit.

. . .

The final matches were the most exciting part of the whole festival.

Bill went fairly easy on Shoka. They decided that, for the sake of forgiveness, they'd have mercy on Shoka and use their own powers this time. However, they knew they could only use the ones that had shown so far which consisted of levitation (lifting debris), matter manipulation (disintegrating robots and healing others), super speed (dashing around the mock city), and reality-warping ("stealing" quirks). And because they were going easy on her, super-speed was something they could use to push her out of the ring. As soon as the whistle was blown, Shoka was out of the ring before she even got a chance to move and the match was over.

Izumi and Katsuki were next. Izumi tried to lift him out of bounds, but Bakugou struck her off guard with a powerful explosion. He then blasted himself straight toward her and she tried to push him back, but this proved to be pointless as he used his explosions to redirect himself. He was right about to attack from behind when she flung debris at him as a distraction for him to focus on while she indiscreetly pushed him to the edge before punching him out and winning the match.

It was officially the final showdown and everybody was on the edge of their seats. A girl with "two quirks" versus a "boy with multiple quirks". Izumi didn't bother with psychokinesis as she already had a migraine from using it so much on Katsuki. Besides, it was pointless to fight levitation with levitation. So she stuck with One For All and tried to punch her way through their defenses. Bill used a skill that they hadn't touched in a while: mind reading. They didn't really need to with Yamasaki around, but they didn't want to bother Izuku when his only job right now was to enjoy the show. It was simple to dodge her attacks and slam her into the ground a few times with her own psychokinesis, but they wanted to know her end goal. This was when Bill stumbled upon her true plan. She wanted to force Izuku into loving her again by proving that she was stronger, and thus, more amazing than Bill. If she were to do so, he would oBvIoUsLy come running to her once more, just like he did back then.

Now Bill was pissed.

This bitch had the audacity even to think she was better than a creature of CHAOS?! And that she could steal their Bunny?! Oh, when Bill was done with her, she'll wish she'd never been born. But not here, not now. No, they want to hear her scream the way Bunny did. They want to give her every ounce of pain she gave him, and then some. And most of all, she deserved to suffer for even believing she was worthy of anything! This bitch was going to hell for sure, but Bill would make it their life goal that she wouldn't go down there peacefully. No, she would b̶̝͈̊͊l̸̨̟̗̆͌̚̚͜ĕ̴̺͓̫̫̇̑̄e̴̩̫͖̓d̷̢͓̭̦̭̃. She would s̴̘̿ĉ̷̨̳̱ŕ̶̼̰͖͈̈͝e̸̥̎̓̂̾ǎ̷̱͓m̸̢̰̤͔͒̿. And they will make sure she remembers her place. Yes, Bill will destroy her.

But that would have to wait. For now, they had a competition to win~

. . .

5 and 6 were reading news articles and blogs while 7 was scrolling through forums and chat logs. 8 was asking around town about The Cipher and doing small interviews with nearby heroes. The general opinion was the same no matter where you looked or who you asked. People loved him, people admired him, people supported him, and at this rate, people would worship him. That was his plan, to win them over and lure them in. Izuku planned to fix society, and Bill planned to rule the world. They were going to rewrite this world's past, present, and future by worming their way into the hearts of every human in the world.

But, technically speaking, there was nothing truly wrong with that. In the eyes of the general public, that was a good plan. In the eyes of the heroes, that was a great plan. In the eyes of the government, that was the best plan. And in the eyes of the villains, that was the most amazing plan. Not a single person was upset about this, and not a single one would stop him. Everything he did was completely legal, and very much welcomed. The pros of his presence outweighed the cons; and even though there were a few biased opinions about his methods and tactics, his power and influence were not something to be trifled with. Some of the darker members of society didn't like his support for the more "undesirable" quirks and especially hated the quirkless, but Cipher would not be deterred by it. His goals and ambitions would remain the same regardless of anyone else's opinion.

Unfortunately, clones 9 through 16 died getting information from the villains and a few were attacked and chased away by naysayers and quirk supremacists. There was an organization called the Eight Fingers that belonged to the Yakuza that killed 17 and 18 for even questioning Bill's motives in the first place because they supported his methods. And there was another called the Meta Liberation Army killed 19 and 20 because "they knew too much". So yeah, things weren't going the greatest. And to add to the seemingly endless list of problems, not a single one of them could find a speck of dirt on Bill.

Back to square one... again.

. . .

(Bill POV)

It was rather disappointing that I couldn't fight Katsuki. I had a score to settle with him. But putting Izumi in a hospital bed would be enough... for now. So here I am, standing on the first-place podium. To my left is Izumi, who stood in second place covered in bandages. And to my right is a very angry Katsuki. Figures he would try to stick up for his girlfriend. Not that it will matter in the end. They'll both get the punishment they rightfully deserve. Especially you, Katsuki~

"And here are the winners of this year's festival!" Midnight announced, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Now, it's time to award the medals! But of course, the awards shall be handed out by this man!" A booming laughter was heard in the distance, and the stadium buzzed with excitement as they too recognized that laugh. "Our number one hero: All Might!" Midnight cheered, gesturing to the man standing on the roof. With a jump, All Might spun through the air and landed heroically in front of the podium. "I AM HERE- with the medals!" he boomed. I was actually kind of excited. Sure All Might is the number one hero, but heroism and teaching combined basically meant that I never got the chance to speak with him. Though, I have an idea of how I can do that. This is gonna be really mean, but it's going to be well worth it.

All Might approached Katsuki first. "Young Bakugou, good job. You fought well," he praised. Katsuki grumbled as All Might placed the medal around his neck. He then moved on to Izumi, "Young Yagi, congratulations. You fought well," he said, wrapping her in a hug. "However, don't take this loss to heart. I'm sure you'll get stronger as you grow. Train hard, and believe in yourself," he assured, and she nodded silently. He released her and turned to me. "Young Cipher, good job. You fought well," he said, patting my shoulder and leaning in. "Thank you for being the example of what our young heroes are capable of," he told me. "Of course, Yagi-san" I whispered, with a wink. A silent invitation was sent and he begrudgingly released my shoulder.

Message received, step one complete!

All Might turned to the crowd and gave a firm thumbs up. "And there you have it, these are the winners of this sports festival. But I want you to remember, anyone could have been on these podiums. This is an opportunity to learn and grow from your loss. Competing! Improving each other! And getting stronger with every battle! The next generation of heroes is rising. So I have one more thing to say! Everyone, say it with me!" All Might said, pointing his finger to the sky.

"Thank you for your hard work/ Plus Ultra"

Silence filled the stadium for a moment before the crowd booed the hero. "C'mon, that was a total Plus Ultra moment, All Might!" a few people in the stands shouted. "But they all worked so hard..." All Might murmured shyly. Bill snickered quietly behind the hero. It took a good 5 minutes to calm everyone down for Present Mic to announce the end of the Sports Festival.

All the students returned to their classes before the day ended to get news of what was going to happen after this. "Good work," Aizawa told us. "So, there will be no school tomorrow or the day after. I'm sure the pro heroes who watched will want to recruit you, but we'll contain everything and announce it when you get back. So rest well, and look forward to that," Aizawa announced, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Welp looks like that's it for today. Time to check on that clone.

//Elsewhere//

The remaining clones meet up with the original twins.

Sadly, the only ones to come back with anything were clones 2 through 8. 2 did end up finding a secret room full of gadgets and blueprints, though only a few were actually worth looking into. There were pictures of tiny devices of all shapes and sizes with blueprints to go with them, the unfinished black helmet being the creepiest, and the mess of bolts and wires being the most mysterious.

The first was a picture of a three-foot-tall robot with blueprints of all sorts of neat stuff to go with it... the picture was a shot of a dark corner, meaning he was either trying to hide this certain project or he was procrastinating on it. It was clearly for Izuku, though. Oh heavens, Mabel is right, isn't she? He really does have the dream demon wrapped around his pudgy little finger.

The second picture was a silver and green circlet with an emerald as the gem. Dipper did not take Bill to be a jeweler; but knowing him, there was something more to this. It most likely hid a device inside it that had something to do with the mind. The only question is who it was for. Izuku doesn't have a body, so he can't wear it. Maybe his sister? Didn't she have a psychokinesis quirk? Does she even like green?

The third picture was a half-built black helmet with a bunch of tubes and wires all throughout it. Was that an ECMO? Was this a medical device? Since when was Bill into healing people? Then again, with all the quirks, fighting, and death, this was probably very much needed. This meant that the helmet could sell for a very high penny, and Bill would gladly take advantage of that fact. Dipper was curious as to who was suffering enough to have to buy this from Bill. Because it wasn't just an ECMO, there were other things installed on it as well. Quite a few containers, most likely for medicine. A dampener of some sort, maybe for that person's quirk? Are quirk drawbacks really this destructive to the body? Dipper is glad he wasn't born here.

The last picture was what appeared to be a steampunk top hat, fully functional and seemingly ready for use. That was definitely for a hero, and even something Bill might wear! Though, he's always been more about fashion when it comes to costumes, so maybe not him. A new hero maybe? Dipper was rather curious about who was going to wear such a well-tailored hat. Dipper just prayed it wasn't cursed with something, or made of mycelium like the first top hats. The title "Mad Hatter" didn't come from nowhere. Those hats were made of poison and were nowhere near safe to wear. Such a shame people didn't know that back then.

The next ones to report were 3, 4, and 5. They gave the same report as before, which was nothing new. Aside from the strangely normal apartment, everything in that building was completely normal for an engineer and businessman. 6, 7, and 8 stepped up with their reports and only gave him the information he already knew. Everyone likes Cipher, yadda yadda yadda. They're still talking about the frame-up that happened days ago. That one probably won't die down for quite a while, especially after the USJ attack. Now there is the sports festival, everyone cheering him on. Even as he pummels Izumi into a pulp for what Dipper assumes are personal reasons (if that expression is anything to go by). Bill wouldn't kill her in a public venue, not with all those people watching. But he did make sure she was capable of making it to the award ceremony, so he wasn't cruel enough to make himself look evil to anyone.

It wasn't hard to figure out what happened to the rest due to the messages and videos sent, but it was still terrifying nonetheless. No wonder Bill wasn't making any moves. Not even he was capable of taking over the world if a simple conversation was enough to have this kind of result. And they were just scoping out information! They hadn't even gotten a chance to threaten Bill, let alone take him down! And then, there's Izuku. Assuming that they did take Bill down, how would Izuku react? He already hates the world as it is. Bill was the only one to reach out to him when he needed it, and the twins killing his best friend would break his nonexistent heart. There was another world Dipper saw where Izuku conquered the world, all while being quirkless. There are some in which he becomes a god, a demon lord, a king, or a tyrant; just to name a few. What if sending Bill to the void while still in Izuku's body results in Izuku getting Bill's powers? Forget the world, this whole universe would be dead. Maybe even the multiverse! Could he do that? Well, without Bill, he'd certainly try (if the other worlds are anything to go by).

Well, for the time being, all they can do right now is look for 1 and hope that the radio silence from 1 isn't them being dead.

//Back with Bill//

Bill opens the door to their home office and is greeted by a rather smug-looking butler and a very frightened Dipper clone with the number 1 on their hat instead of the original pine tree. Bill sits at their desk debating on whether or not to kill them. It takes a secret conversation to convince them not to. He's right about the clone's death giving away Bill's cover, so the best option here is to give Dipper what he wants. 'But how do we intend on keeping our plans from them if his clone is snooping around every corner, Bunny? It might find something!' Bill argued. They weren't wrong to worry. The twins had already proven once before how powerful they were if given the right information, so giving any at all was dangerous. Of course, they could always just kill Bill and run away while this world collapsed from their demise. But that would go against their plans of saving the world. And while this world did need saving, they wouldn't be the ones doing it.

"Then why don't we give them a tour?" Izuku offered.

Figures Bunny would have all the best ideas. Ironic how Bill is the one panicking right now while Izuku is being a Machiavellian. "Well, it seems a decision has finally been made as to what to do with you, Pine Tree number 2," Bill spoke. The clone was startled for a moment before flashing through a flurry of emotions. Concern as to what the decision was, anxiety about the pain that they thought would transpire, and fear over their impending doom. "We're going to give you a tour!" Bill sang, his smile not reaching his eye, as always. The clone's emotions quickly shifted as they relaxed a bit. They weren't going to die, not yet. But why hand out information so freely? Bill knows what Dipper wants. Bill knows what he's plotting. Bill knows why 1 is here. So why?

Bill stands and releases the binds around 1. "Why are you doing this, Bill?" 1 demands. Bill smirks, glad to rile up their enemy, even if they're just a clone. "It's quite simple. I know you, Pine Tree. You won't stop 'till you get what you want. You'll push and push until you fall and then you'll grab onto the lifeline that you know is always there, and then you go blab about the things you found. So why bother trying to hide anything when you're going to get your way, anyhow?" This confused 1 immensely. Did Bill give up? Had Dipper really pushed them so far that the demon just let him do as he pleased?

Bill gestured for the clone to follow, and they did. "I mean, you're already here, aren't you? Sure, it took you a while, but you found me. You broke the laws of time and space, traveled into a world that isn't yours, broke multiple laws, fought the principle of UA (who may as well be a government official), and forced your way into my home. All so you could get to me. For what? Round 2? The end? You always think about what you want, and never what anyone else wants. What about your sister, huh? What did Shooting Star have to say about this?" they inquired. 1 may not have been Mabel's real brother, merely a clone of him, but it still hurt to hear these words. Even though Bill is an amazing gaslighter and incredibly manipulative, they are not a liar. Will they withhold the truth? Yes. Hide their true intentions? Absolutely. But is it an actual lie? No, because for it to be a lie, they would have to tell a fib. A false statement. Bill does not do that. They merely bend the truth.

And it hurt because they knew how right they were right about Mabel not wanting to do this.

"Another thing about you is that you never let go of the past. I will admit, I'm still a bit salty about our fight. But, I was ignorant and careless, so I only have myself to blame for losing. I can go on and on about the many things we did to each other, but why do that? A waste of precious time and energy. Bunny always said we couldn't afford to lose such things. And I am inclined to agree. He's right about almost everything, actually." 1 thought it was amazing for Bill to willingly admit to someone being better than themself. Are they talking about Izuku?

"He's not as gullible as you think he is, Dipper," Bill spat. 1 halted in their tracks. Did Bill just- "And here we are! Welcome to my workshop, Pine Tree. Have a look around. And please, take your time, we're in no rush," Bill said, being suspiciously quick to change the topic. 1 spared them a wary glance as they cautiously explored the large room. It seemed normal. Looks like a workshop, smells like a workshop, and sounds like a workshop. Gizmos and gadgets filled every corner, notebooks full of notes were lined up neatly in a row, and folders and files filled the cabinets next to the desk. There was a metal table covered with blueprints and lists of things needed to complete projects. Yep, a totally normal workshop with a really cool sliding shelf that Dipper would definitely want. 1 took some pictures of the room (especially the shelves) and returned to the doorway, where Bill was waiting for them with a cheeky smile.

"Like what ya see?" they teased. 1 rolled their eyes. "The shelves were a nice touch," they admitted. Bill laughed, "Yeah, that was Bunny's idea. This kid is a genius, I tell you!" "Bill!" an invisible Izuku huffed. A cold chill crawled up 1's spine but passed as quickly as it came, and 1 would have just written it off as a cold spot had it not been for the many ghosts Gravity Falls so generously supplied. They looked around but found no signs of a spirit, and then they remembered Izuku. "Is he here?" 1 asked. Bill blinked and then snorted, "Geez copycat, you make it sound like he's an evil spirit." 1 grimaced at their own word choice, but held a firm gaze nonetheless. "Yeah yeah, he's here. Always has been and always will be," Bill waved.

Bill pulled a small plushie of Izuku from his sweater pocket and the doll came to life. "It's rude to talk about someone who's listening, ya know," Izuku pointed out monotonously. "And don't say, 'It's rude to listen in on other people's conversations'. You knew I was here this whole time, so that argument is invalid." 1 looked away sheepishly as Bill sat the doll on their shoulder with a laugh. "Wow, straight to lawyer mode, huh? What's got you all riled up?" they joked. Izuku huffed, which allowed 1 to realize that, despite the vessel having a mouth, it wasn't moving when the child spoke. The doll was moving, but it wasn't acting very... possessed. It was more like Izuku was merely holding it rather than using it.

"Oh, nothing. It's not like a certain traitor is walking around our home like an old friend." Izuku spat out. Izuku was obviously glaring at 1, but with the permanent smile plastered on the doll's face, it came off as more creepy than scary. Perhaps that's what Izuku wanted. It was most likely another warning of his, and if so, it was clearly the last. 1 had to leave, now. "Uh, thanks for um... the tour and.. stuff... I think I have to get back now, though. So, could you, erm, show me the way out?" 1 asked nervously. They fidgeted under Izuku's beady gaze, hoping that Bill would comply so they could leave, and thankfully they did. Bill was more than glad to get rid of the nuisance, but not without a safeguard. Bill fiddled with reality a bit and made a micro-camera and mic appear on 1's shirt pocket which was usually used for pens and Dipper's own hidden cameras and could now see all the things the Pine twins were doing.

"Sure thing, copycat, follow me," Bill said, a bit too cheerfully. Not that 1 minded, they were just glad to finally leave.

When 1 finally returned to the group, they were happy to finally be rid of that sickening feeling of being watched. It was just like the mansion. They knew that Bill had eyes and ears everywhere, and they also knew that Bill would be aware of their every move and action, so the sensation of being stalked was a familiar feeling. The feeling was very strong back in the mansion, but slowly faded as they got closer to leaving the demon's territory. Regardless, it was gone now and 1 was safe with the group.

1 told everyone what happened and what they saw. Bill's abnormal behavior most likely had to do with the ghost child, though it was rather unsettling knowing that he was there at all times. It certainly would give Izuku a bigger influence on Bill to constantly be by their side, so it was relieving to know just how in-control Izuku was, but it was also a tad worrisome. The passive-aggressive hostility he displayed was getting worse the more he interacted with the twins. If anything, it was as if they switched personalities. Izuku was the demon they knew Bill to be, while Bill was the innocent child they expected Izuku to be. The lack of new information gathered from the workshop/basement was a tad disappointing for Dipper, but hearing how Izuku is handling things was concerning. It sounded like he was becoming impatient.

It sounded like Izuku was becoming Bill.

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(This chapter was really fun to make. And I hope you had fun reading it.

When it comes to books, I prefer a book with more realistic undertones. I like how you see the character slowly grow and change, for better or worse. In this case, Izuku came to Bill broken and betrayed and is slowly turning into an anti-hero. Something along the lines of a vigilante mixed with a villain who is going to end up being the goodest good guy. I like to put little tidbits of character development in the story for readers to get a sense of what it's like to have a negative influence in your life and get a feeling for what it would be like to have some positive influences to balance things out and give perspective.

However, as far as Izuku is concerned, Bill is a positive influence. That's the thing about gaslighting, though. Most victims of it don't realize they are being deceived because they believe the person to be correct. They slowly lose their perception of reality and what is true or false, and they begin to rely on the manipulator to help them "remember" what is good and right. So Izuku doesn't fully realize how cynical he's become and simply thinks of his behavior as something normal for someone who's been through what he has.

"Machiavellians are sly, deceptive, distrusting, and manipulative. They are characterized by cynical and misanthropic beliefs, callousness, a striving for money, power, and status, and the use of cunning influence tactics." (quote aom.org)

Bill is absolutely corrupting Izuku, but Izuku is leveling it out by doing the same to them. Fortunately, Uncle Tad is there to keep things from going out of hand and letting the two crumble into insanity again. We also have Mrs. Hen to keep them stable. With those two and most of Class 1-A there as their support, they will both grow and bond even further.

And that's why I like it when bad things happen in stories. I like to see the MC overcome them and become all the better for it. So yeah, I really appreciate realistic stories. Those kinds of stories make the readers more interactive and empathetic with the characters of the story. Even those who lack empathy or sympathy can learn from these kinds of stories. Now, what they gather from this is perceived in different ways, so I can't say for sure how people view the moral compass of my stories, but that's my main goal. For people to become more understanding of the world through reading realistic stories.

I just hope that my creations form an outside perspective for people who don't know any better.

Thank you all for reading, and I'll see you soon.)