Midoriya Izuku was drawing in his notebook as the teacher rambled on about something that Izuku really wasn't paying attention to. Usually, he would be listening and making notes - he was a very good student - but right now, he was swamped with work and he needed to get ahead of it. He had discovered that throughout the past few years, there had been a sort of an increase and decrease in villain activity - an anomaly. It almost looked normal on the charts but Izuku had realised that there was something... off. Random villains had disappeared, as well as citizens. It should be posed as an entirely normal event, given it just factors into the normal villain activity rate but there was just something so wrong about it that Izuku had to investigate. He just couldn't figure it out.

Villains disappeared, weak and powerful with quirks of all types and there was nothing new on the subject. It was weird because Izuku hadn't found any information on said villains being taken down by heroes, or even other villains, or heck, going back to their daily lives - the weaker and lower class villains were much easier to identify. But it irked Izuku. Even knowing their identities, he didn't know where they were going. They weren't killed by other villains, they weren't taken down by heroes, they weren't going back to their lives and they weren't leaving the city or country. So where were they going? They just up and vanished. It didn't exactly help Izuku that since they were villains, the heroes and police hadn't put much effort into it. For the most part, Izuku could understand why - they were villains and it was their job to get rid of them and if they just happened to disappear, then it made their job easier. Perhaps Izuku shouldn't be investigating it himself since he did have more active matters to attend to but it just somehow seemed important. Besides, if he didn't do it, who would?

A part of him wouldn't rest until he figured it out. For all he knew, whatever caused those disappearances could turn out to be a big problem and they just didn't know it yet. If that was the case, then it'd best to solve the problem before it got bigger and more difficult to defeat. Also, Izuku was fairly sure that some of these villain disappearances also factored into the civilian disappearances. They seemed similar and it had the exact same mo. No bodies and absolutely never heard of again. Gone, without a trace. The only problem was that Izuku couldn't find a way to connect them together or find a common goal. The disappearances had absolutely nothing in common, that Izuku could tell at least. But Izuku knew, he just knew, there was something connecting them all together. He had looked into their profiles as much as he could and couldn't find any connections in terms of friends, family, history or even jobs. In terms of the more shady connections, there was nothing. The only connection he did find was two villains having the same drug dealer but that was it and said dealer himself was still dealing - Izuku had already made a mental note to start tracking him down and give him a trial. He was fairly sure his viewers would appreciate it if he got rid of a drug dealer for them.

Izuku was startled out of his thoughts as the entire class erupted into roars. Izuku's head whipped back and forth, wondering what on earth he had just missed. Several of his classmates were showing off their quirks, cheering loudly and his teacher had just thrown some papers into the air which was now fluttering through the air of the chaotic classroom.

"Yeah, I'm gonna be a hero!"

"You bet, teach!"

"Just ya watch, I'm gun be the best hero in the future!"

"I'm going to be the best!"

Izuku blinked, his mind struggling to reboot and change topics from his previously deep thought train to processing what was happening. Heroes? Future? Best? What? Oh, wait. Izuku finally caught onto what was happening after a few seconds. They were talking about what they wanted to do once they left this school. If Izuku remembered correctly, he had put U.A General Education on his form. It would be incredibly risky for him, given how he was also One for All in a school full of heroes and future heroes that weren't exactly on his side. Although he did sometimes wonder what would happen if heroes were to capture him. Yes, he was a murderer, but by many people's definition, he was a hero. Especially since he only ever did what the public wanted. If he was sentenced for his crimes, they would have a looooot of evidence of him - y'know, given the fact he broadcasted and posted his every single move online and such. That was bound to be some solid evidence.

"Sensei! Don't lump us all in the same group. I'm not gonna be stuck at the bottom with the rest of these rejects!" Bakugo Katsuki - Kacchan (always so arrogant in words but always so hard working).

"THAT WAS UNCALLED FOR, KATSUKI!" One of their classmates yelled, the entire class immediately turning to yell at their arrogant classmate. Izuku just sighed, sinking into his seat and closing his notebook. So it was going to be one of those days, huh? He certainly couldn't say he enjoyed days like these but at least it kept everything interesting.

"Yeah, yeah!"

"You all should shut up like the extras you are!" Bakugo yelled, what a face that was borderline sadistic. More yelling erupted from the room of students, all disagreeing to Bakugo's words. Izuku stayed quiet at his desk, not surprised at the outcome but slightly nervous. It wouldn't end well if Bakugo got mad.

"Oh, if I remember correctly, you want to go to U.A High, right, Bakugo?" The teacher asked, somehow managing to calm the class without even trying. The students looked to Bakugo in mild surprise, meanwhile, Izuku winced. This was going to go downhill for him really quick. In which case, he quickly swapped out his books, replacing his current notebook for his work as One for All with his Hero Analysis book. It would be horrible if someone saw what was inside or it ended up getting destroyed in Bakugo's rampage that was bound to come sooner or later.

"U.A? That National School?"

"It was in the top 0.2% this year, you know!"

"Their acceptance rate's always really low, too!"

"That's exactly why you guys are just extras!" Bakugo loudly proclaimed. In a swift movement, he jumped onto his desk. "I aced the mock test!" He pointed to himself. "I'm the only one at this school who could possibly get into U.A.. I'll definitely surpass All Might and become the top hero! My name'll be inscribed on the list of top earners!" Bakugo roared. Honestly, Izuku couldn't help but be moved by his enthusiasm. He had always looked up to Bakugo for it. Sure, his personality was as far away from hero material as it could be, but he had always been enthusiastic about being a hero since they were kids and Izuku couldn't help but admire it. His determination to become a hero was amazing and it had only grown stronger - as had he - throughout the years. He was incredible in that way. He would be a good hero - if he could just be a little bit nicer anyway...

"Oh yeah, Midoriya wanted to go to U.A too, right?" The teacher asked. Bakugo froze where he was and for a brief moment, the entire class was dead silent. Izuku tried to burrow his head in his arms. He hated moments like these. He knew what he was. He knew it was true. But then another part of him - the part that was One for All, told him that he was strong, that he was powerful and he could do anything. He liked to think that he could. But even with his many achievements as One for All, he was still quirkless. His so called 'power' came from his gadgets and research. From taking the villains off guard and running around a lot. From the use of a taser or a quick move he had learnt somewhere along the line. None of it was real power. Just pure luck that somehow managed to keep going.

Everyone burst into laughter, multiple sneers being directed at him as his classmates snickered and laughed at the thought of him becoming a hero. He wished he could prove them wrong sometimes.

"Huh, Midoriya? No way!"

"You can't get into the hero course just by studying!" Another classmate sneered.

"I-I'm not aiming for the h-hero course! Ju-just general education!" Izuku tried to defend himself, hoping that it would have some effect and everyone would stop laughing at him. (If only they knew what you really are.)

Izuku got no such luck as Bakugo jumped towards his table, slamming his fist down and blowing up his table. Izuku was sent flying backwards, landing painfully on his butt.

"Hey, Deku! You're below the rejects! You're Quirkless!" Bakugo yelled, holding his palm up. Izuku stared at the smoke coming from his palm in alarm. His body screamed at him in a panic, his muscles tensing and telling him to get up and defend himself. He forced himself to stay where he was - he couldn't risk showing anyone what he could do. He couldn't risk anyone realising that he was One for All - not that anyone in this room would ever believe it.

"How can you even stand in the same ring as me?!" Izuku tried to ignore Bakugo's words, trying to ignore how they really stabbed at him and probed at his insecurities and everything that slowly broke him down when he needed to be strong, tried to ignore how it fueled his doubts and fears. He tried to remember the motto he had made himself live by all the time. The scars made you who you are. Don't be ashamed of them. The scars made you who you are.

(The words hurt him anyway.)

"No, wait, Kacchan! It's not like I'm trying to compete with you or anything! I'm not aiming for the hero course! Just general education!" Izuku desperately blabbed, shuffling backwards until his back hit the wall, his hands waving around rapidly in an attempt to help convey what he was trying to say.

"I'm going to be the only one getting into U.A! Besides, what the hell can you do? You're Quirkless!" Bakugo repeated and although it was nothing new for Izuku to hear, the words just kept stabbing him ever deeper, ever so hurtful and truthful and painful.

(The scars made you who you are. Don't be ashamed.)

He heard snickers from his classmates. The shame sunk in deeper. They always laughed at him. He wasn't even doing anything to them. Why? Why did they have to laugh at him and hurt him? Why did none of them ever try to help him? If their situations were reversed, he would have tried to help them. But instead, they all stood by, laughing and snickering and mocking and taunting him all the time - even the teacher didn't do anything. What a great guy, right?

(Why was he so alone? Was it just because he was Quirkless? Or was it something else? Was it just him?)

~~~Memey Murderboi~~~

Izuku scrolled through the news articles on his phone as his classmates left. There were several ones that slightly interested him but only two headlines caught his eyes. The first one was the multiple headlines of the incident that had happened at a train track downtown this morning with a villain and Kamui Woods and Mount Lady, and the next headline that caught his interest was a headline of himself. Or rather, of One for All.

One for All continues with his pursuit of villainy and is victorious once again!

Izuku smiled, looking at the picture that looked like it had been taken from his own camera - must have been a screenshot from his droid's camera feed. It was a good one though. His attention was drawn back to the other article, however. He had missed it because he was finishing up a loose end online and doing some research. His stream had officially ended at 6:18am, but he had continued doing some research until he had to get to school. He had to go from the Murderfort to school so it was a different route and even if he did happen to pass by that area, he was already running late so he either would have missed it or he wouldn't have had the time to stop.

Izuku decided he could read and look through everything once he got home. He had things he needed to do, after all. His mother was getting worried and a bit suspicious of his behaviour recently. He didn't necessarily need to do his research at his base, he could do it at home. David had actually been the last person on his list for the week and since it hadn't been a full two weeks, perhaps he could take a little break... He could have a few days to himself to get himself sorted. He could do some research, spend some time with his mother, make sure he was all caught up on his schoolwork and do some in advance so he wouldn't have to worry about falling behind if he got too busy with being One for All, edit his site and reply to his fans and just have an overall break for a few days. Surely his viewers wouldn't mind him just having a little break... Besides, he still had to complete the villain profiles for next week.

Besides, he still had to complete the villain profiles for next week.

Izuku began to pack up. He was about to put his Hero notebook in his bag when it was taken from his hands. Confused and slightly relieved at himself for switching his books out earlier, he looked up to see Bakugo, holding up his notebook in one hand and staring at him with an intensity that made Izuku tense. He still wasn't done, then.

"We're not done talking yet, Deku," Bakugo hissed, glaring down at him. Izuku's eyes swep the class hopelessly, already knowing that even if there was someone still here, they wouldn't help him. He was alone. (He always was.) The class was empty except for Bakugo's two friends - lackeys, really - and themselves. Perhaps he should be somewhat glad for that. It was less humiliating when they weren't many people around. If it was in front of the entire class again... Izuku was fairly sure the humiliation would never stop eating at him and giving him more insecurities. He already couldn't look his classmates in the eyes.

"Katsuki, what's that?" One of Bakugo's minions asked, gesturing to Izuku's notebook. He was one of Bakugo's more loyal lackeys, having been with him since childhood - while Izuku himself was tossed away. (Always thrown away.)

(Ever so worthless.)

Bakugo held up Izuku's notebook so his friend could see. The letters scribbled on the front page read; Hero Analysis for the Future #14. Izuku had gone through quite a few notebooks in his time. While he needed to log villains as One for All, taking notes on heroes had always been a hobby of his. Nevertheless, it was also somewhat necessary since not all heroes were on his side and preferred to arrest him - meaning Izuku would need to know what he was up against. His adventure as One for All had lead to him encountering heroes he never would have heard of before or seen on the news and the first hand experience had given him more detail on what to write his notes about. He had even encountered Eraserhead himself a couple of times! He barely got away but that was besides the point. Eraserhead was amazing in person. He had ended up fanboying while fighting Eraserhead - who was less than amused - and he still continued his rant all the way back to the Murderfort. Eraserhead was one of the few heroes to gain One for All's approval and respect. Not many heroes had that privilege. It turns out that having his favour had also drawn attention to said heroes - much to Eraserhead's chargin, however. One for All had asked everyone to respect Eraserhead's privacy and leave him be. For the most part, attention was drawn away from him as per his request, but there were, of course, still some stranglers that just had to know more about the Underground Hero that captured One for All's attention and respect on only their first meeting. It usually took a couple of meetings for One for All to genuinely and completely respect a Hero, even sometimes going as far as to step aside when asked by said hero. due to that very same respect.

"Huh? 'Hero analysis for the future'? Seriously?!" The brown haired student burst into laughter upon reading the title and for a moment, shame overtook Izuku before he pushed the ugly feeling away and glared his classmate. No, he would not be ashamed. Not of this. They could not make him ashamed of this. He wouldn't be. This was something important to him. (The scars make you who you are. Don't be ashamed.)

(The hope helps you continue forward.)

"Midoriya...!" He wheezed, still laughing.

Izuku stood up, not intending to take this. They could laugh at him, fine. But he wouldn't let them make him feel ashamed of a hobby he had had for years. "I-it's fine, isn't it? Give it back!" There was nothing wrong with him doing this! Why did it have to matter to them what he wrote down and what he did? It's not like it affected their lives! If Bakugo wanted to get into U.A., then fine! That was his decision! But Izuku's notebook wasn't going to interfere with that, so what was the point of taking it from him? Izuku made a swipe for his notebook but Bakugo easily dodged his attempts and took a step back.

Before Izuku could make another attempt for his notebook, Bakugo slammed his fist onto the cover, his Quirk activating and exploding right on his notebook and he needed that - oh god no, he seriously needed that - Kacchan, what have you done?

Izuku stood there, speechless for a long moment. He didn't know what to say. Even if he did, how could he say it? He needed his analysis for when he went after his next villains - all the heroes in that area that may interfere and pose a threat to his operation. Even if he already remembered most of it, there were still parts he hadn't entirely memorised and he needed it for his Admins so they could help him while he was out and couldn't access his database and oh god, what was he going to do? He needed to fix this somehow- Bakugo threw his notebook out of the window behind him. A small scream ripped from Izuku's throat as he watched his notebook fly out the window, almost in slow motion.

He practically flung himself at the window, attempting to reach his notebook in time, not even bothering to hide his speed as he did so. His fingers grazed the edges of his notebook but he was too late to actually grab onto a part of the notebook to catch it. Izuku looked out the window, trying to see where his notebook was headed. Okay, maybe this wasn't so bad. Maybe the damage wasn't too bad. Perhaps he could fix this. He knew most of the notes anyway, right? He could rewrite some of them... Surely the damage wouldn't be too bad - he could fix any of the damage that-

His notebook landed in the Koi pond. Izuku's face fell completely and his hope shattered in his chest for the who-knows-many-times. There was no way. He couldn't salvage that. The water would wash the ink out. All his notes... He would have to re-do. He tried to assess the damage as best as he could. How far behind schedule would this put him? How far? How many hours? Days? Weeks? How much damage? How far had he gone with his notes? The thought of relaxing for a few days to finally get himself to shatter flew right out that window with his notebook. How much hard work had he just lost? How long would it take to re-do it all? And to then continue where he left off, digitalise, compartmentalise, organise, and plan? His admins needed that so they could finish off their part of the work One for All had assigned to them. How far back had he just been set? How far?

Considering that the work itself hadn't actually been completed, meaning he hadn't digitalised and compartmentalised it into his database, it also hadn't been sent to his admins which means once he did manage to re-do it all and get back on track, he would have to send it to his admins and he didn't know for sure how long they would take to do their part - it depended on their own schedule. Sometimes they got it done with a few hard working hours, other time it would take up a few days since extra information would be hard to find and they had to make sure it was thorough. Or if they couldn't find out much about the Hero's most recent daily routine, it would take a few extra days. Any mistake could be fatal in that aspect. If he was with a villain, he couldn't rush the votes and he couldn't make the decision himself. He'd have to hold off heroes and probably police too until the votes were up. And during that time, more heroes and officers would be on their way and he'd be so compromised he may not be able to do what the public wanted of him. Could he risk doing his job without all the information on the heroes? It was doable but a great risk. But at the same time, Izuku wasn't entirely sure he had the time to make up for everything that Bakugo had just thoughtlessly destroyed.

Izuku's attention unintentionally shifted to the sound of footsteps coming up behind him. He turned around to see Bakugo approaching him with a glare. "Most top first-string heroes have stories about them from their school days. I want the shine of being able to be called the only student to make it into U.A. from this mediocre city junior high school. I mean... I'm a perfectionist." Bakugo put his hand on Izuku's shoulder, smoke rising. "So anyway," Bakugo gave him a fake but somewhat menacing smile. "Don't apply to U.A., nerd."

Izuku searched his brain for something, anything to say. Come on, he should be able to do this by now! He always had something to say as One for All! So why was it whenever he was just ordinary, Quirkless, Midoriya Izuku, - Deku - he could never say anything? That no retorts left his lips? No sassy remarks or dead memes? Why did he have no response? There were so many things he should, could, say, but never did. Why? Why, dammit? Why was he always so scared and meek when he wasn't One for All?

(A man is least truthful when he speaks in his own person. Give him a mask and he will tell you the truth.)

"Come on, you should at least say something back," The nicest of Bakugo's two lackeys said (they were all mean but whatever), as they walked away. He almost looked sympathetic but Izuku knew far better than that. He wasn't actually sorry about it. He looked slightly amused himself and he had a look of pity on his face, like staring at something that couldn't do anything on its own but it wasn't actually a tragedy, more of a 'only on your mind when its in front of you' kind of look. Out of sight, out of mind, after all.

"Don't say that. He's pathetic. He still can't face reality," The other one snickered, looking back at Izuku with a smile, clearly laughing at his misery. He obviously enjoyed it. He always did. He had stood by Bakugo's side since they were kids and always had a hand in tormenting him. Izuku hated himself for his own pun at such a moment.

Bakugo stopped at the door and looked back. "If you wanna be a hero that badly, there's a quick way to do it. Believe that you'll be born with a Quirk in your next life and take a swan dive off the roof!" He sneered. Izuku froze, paling. What-how? Why? How could he say something like that? How could he say something like that and try to be a hero? Someone who saves people? Someone who tells them that it's going to be alright because they were going to be okay? That they just had to hold on a little longer and they would be safe again? Yet how could Bakugo say something that stands against everything a hero is supposed to stand for?

"What is wrong with you?" Izuku whispered harshly, the words coming out of his throat before he could stop them - not that he wanted to. He just stared at his childhood friend, not believing that this was what he was now. A hero to-be and he just...told someone to kill themselves? What kind of hero...?

Explosions lit up Bakugo's hand, his face was twisting into a more angry and scary glare. "What was that, Deku?" He hissed dangerously. Not even slightly intimidated now, Izuku continued staring at him in disbelief, unable to comprehend.

"That's what I thought," Bakugo sneered, turning on his heel and walking out of the door. Izuku stared at the door for a few more moments, completely dumbfounded and appalled. It took Izuku another couple of minutes to collect himself and then get his stuff and leave that cursed classroom.

~~~Memey Murderboi~~~

Izuku let out a sigh as he walked home, trying to forget the events of earlier. He flipped through his notebook, checking the damage. For the most part, there really wasn't all too much damage, aside from the cover and the first page. Well, actually, that's a lie. Its trip into the water had done quite a bit of damage too. At the very least, he remembered that he at least uploaded the most important pages into his database in case anything ever happened to this notebook. His other notebooks were already fully updated so he didn't have to worry about that, at least. But this notebook hadn't been fully updated so he had still lost a bit. On the bright side, he hadn't lost as much as he thought he did, so he could probably get back on track soon enough. Though, he sighed, it still meant he wasn't going to be having a few days to himself. Even if he did have his digital logs, they weren't nearly as personal or sentimental as his notebooks. His notebooks held a sort of special place in his heart. They were like, his origin. The bright side to having a digital database was that he could find official pictures of heroes and villains wherever and whenever he could and add those to the files. It seemed like a good idea - to have his own personal drawings and the actual official pictures or sightings.

Nowadays though, he only really had time to work on his villain database. Writing and analysing heroes was honestly more of a hobby of his if anything. It was useful, most definitely, especially when he came face to face with said heroes but the villains were the ones he had to watch out for the most. His notes were detailed and once he was satisfied with the notes and profiles he had made, he would upload them to his site and add them to a list. He only ever added five villains at a time, however. He didn't want every villain he was investigating to know he was onto them and spook them. He'd upload five villains every two weeks and his viewers would choose which ones he goes after first. They decided which order he'd go after them in - usually by who they wanted gone the most to who they could wait a few more days to get rid of. It was a bit annoying, considering that quite a few villains - the smarter ones, anyways - had started checking his site to see if their name was on his list and if it was, they'd get a headstart. Izuku supposed it didn't matter. He had managed to catch them all so far. He tried to stop the Pokemon theme from playing in his head but he failed epically and the song practically blast through his brain cells and took over his every thought. His mind quickly switched back to the matter at hand once he got it out of his system.

Sometimes they got away but Izuku always found them in the end. The longer a villain has ever managed to evade him for was about 6 months. It was more of a game of catch and mouse during those months and his followers had an absolutely wonderful time laughing at him. They were probably just as upset as him about losing the villain, but the more chill ones had made jokes out of it and of course, memes. Izuku was more than aware of the many memes made of and about him, as well as the fanpages - which he followed every one of.

Izuku's senses snapped him back to reality the second his ears heard a bang. He quickly looked around, noting that he was passing under the tunnel he usually did. He spun around, noticing sludge rising up from a hole - the manhole? - in the ground. The sewer, he realised. The giant blob of sludge began to take more of a shape, looking down at him with eyes and Izuku froze, horror filling him. He didn't have any of his gear! His camera! Anything! He only had his school supplies. As the sludge grew bigger, Izuku took several quick and long steps back, his mind racing. He didn't dare try to run - if he turned his back on what was clearly a villain for even a second, he'd be a goner. What could he use? He had some pens and pencils but those weren't really weapon materials and he doubted stabbing sludge with a pen would do much damage. Perhaps if he had a body it'd at least hurt just enough that it'd do something - a distraction, at best. What else? His hero notebooks, his One for All notes, which were tucked into his bag. No, that wouldn't help him. He couldn't use them as a physical weapon and he already knew everything in there, obviously. He went through his memory, trying to remember if he had done any research on this villain before. Nothing came to behind. Izuku's breath hitched. There had to be something - something! He couldn't be this useless. He had made himself strong. (You're only strong with support.)

(That's not true strength.)

(Weak, Quirkless loser.)

(Pathetic.)

(You can't do anything.)

(You'll always need help.)

What kind of attacks could he use? Izuku couldn't be sure but his body looked more liquid than it did solid. He could try to fight it off but his attacks wouldn't do much against it. Okay, so. A liquid. How would you fight a liquid? Heat. Electricity. Capture it. Secure it. He couldn't do any of that right now. He couldn't do anything-

He was out of time.

The green slime hurtled into him, instantly knocking the oxygen out of Izuku's lungs. He gasped for breath, only for something solid- liquid? - He didn't know to stop his attempts at refilling his lungs. It forced its way down his throat, suffocating him. Izuku struggled, grasping at the slime, trying to pull it away from him but to no avail. He couldn't get a grip on it and every second he went without oxygen sent his brain and body into panic. Unable to think straight anymore, Izuku went into a blind panic, clawing and gripping at the slime wherever he could. It didn't amount to anything regardless how hard he tried and how much he struggled. His vision began to darken and his body weaken. Vaguely, he could swear the slime was talking but he couldn't hear a thing.

Then, the next thing he knew, the slime was suddenly gone and he was being blast by a gust of wind. Izuku's eyes fluttered open, not even sure when he had shut them, his eyes making out a hazy figure. His mind couldn't process it. It didn't register in his head, even as he smashed into the ground and everything went dark for him.

~~~Memey Murderboi~~