The villains had a plan. They didn't tell Izuku any details, of course, they were still wary of him. He had stopped resisting instruction a few weeks ago after he lost control of his mind and body every time he tried to refuse. At least this way he wasn't constantly limping around, and he was able to keep whatever was in his head from hurting people. Also, Izuku figured, they were more willing to feed him information and let him help brainstorm.

So Izuku decided to play along.  

He smiled when they spoke to him. He nodded along, added to the conversation, and laughed whenever they made unsavory jokes. The man in the shadows seemed pleased whenever he caught Izuku playing along, but he gave no indication of trusting him. However, the lower ranked heroes adored him.

It turned out Izuku could really fit in with the villains if he tried, and it disgusted him. He disgusted himself. 

It took weeks of collecting scraps of information and cajoling secrets and gossip from various sources before Izuku was able to come up with a semblance of an idea for what was going on.

They planned to invade UA.

They planned to invade UA and destroy it. 

They talked about how, with Izuku's power, this would truly be the end of heroes. This would crush the hopes of every person across the globe. They laughed about how nobody would be able to save anyone anymore. It would become a world that was kill or be killed only.

Izuku was furious, and he was scared. He knew what his powers were capable of, and he could never forgive himself for the crimes he had committed. He had felt the raw power within him that was vying to escape everytime they made him fight. It was only a matter of time before they attacked UA, and Izuku wasn't sure how much longer he could keep himself contained. He only had so much power over his own body now.

The villains asked him what he thought.

It took everything in him to muster up a smile.

••••••••••••••••••••

Everyone in class 1-A was worried for Todoroki. He was changing, and they weren't sure that it was for the better.

He closed himself off again, just like he had when he had first come to UA. He didn't talk more than necessary, he sat by himself during lunch and breaks, and he seemed to have lost all regard for his safety.

"Have you lost your mind?" Aizawa genuinely didnt even know. "If you had been in a real fight, those villains would have killed you! You do not go in without backup, Todoroki, you know this."

The teen said nothing. He wasn't even looking at Aizawa, it was as though he was simply staring through him.

"Todoroki."

His gaze focused.

"What's gotten into you? You can't be a hero like this."

Todoroki shrugged and walked off.

What's the point in fighting if you aren't putting your life on the line? It's not like he could save anyone, anyways.

He began visiting Recovery Girl more often. She was sad everytime she saw him. His eyes were just so empty, and she couldn't fix that no matter how hard she tried.

It was a big deal when Todoroki started smiling again, so they definitely noticed when he stopped. His cat, Soba, could definitely make him soften his demeanor for a while, but then he would remember how he got her and his feelings became complicated once again.

Todoroki eventually got around to cleaning out his room. It's all in a pile in his backyard, ready to be burned, when he notices it.

Izuku's All Might notebook.

It's such a stupid thing, but when Todoroki sees it, he wants to laugh. What business did a villain have with a notebook like that? Todoroki almost never saw Izuku without it, and he would always make time to just sit down at the end of the day and write. Todoroki figured it was Izuku's way of sorting his emotions, of helping himself make sense of what was going on. To make sure it all wasn't a dream. Todoroki had felt the same way.

He pulled the notebook out of the pile. He wouldn't read it, he definitely wasn't going to be ready to do that for a while, but he knew someone who would probably need explanations.

He watched as the rest of the pile was eaten away by the warmth of the orange and yellow of his flames.

The next day finds Todoroki standing at the doorway of an apartment. He sets down a package, knocks, then walks away.

••••••••••••••••••••

Inko is watching the news when she figures it out. She sees the picture of the boy - Suzuki, he said his name was  - covered in blood running through the streets. She hears the news call him a murderer. She hears them say his name is Izuku, and he is the villain, Deku. She hears them say that Endeavor is dead, and she hears them say he is wanted.

Inko is not an idiot, although most people think so. She knows that people see her cry a lot and think that must mean she's too emotional. Just a blubbering overprotective idiot. She knows the gossip. But just because she is emotional didn't mean she is stupid. She knows that her son is a wanted villain. She just doesn't think he actually did anything. She knows that something happened, and she is heartbroken that nobody else had that faith in him.

The moment she saw that boy hiding very obviously behind a newspaper wearing a hoodie and mask in the middle of the summer heat, she had her suspicions. She wasn't 100% sure of course, but she was curious enough to invite him into her home. He reminded her of her Izuku in so many ways, but he was also so different. His eyes were more sad, and he was much harder to talk to. This boy had been through a lot, so regardless of whether or not he was actually her son, she had decided to welcome him into her home with loving arms.

And now she has confirmation that those two boys were one in the same. But she had to learn that from the news. From a picture of him covered in blood, bile, and tears.

And all she could do was hope desperately that her baby was okay.

There was a knock at her door. She had hopes for who would be behind it, but she did not dare indulge herself too much.

To her surprise, there was nobody behind the door. Instead, there was a notebook. She picked it up.

Someone had stuck a post it note to the front. It read: I figured you might need this.

She opened it, then she realized. It was Izuku's journal. It was a piece of her son.

She read every page, understanding dawning on her the more of those messy letters she consumed. Her son described everything in this notebook. Her kidnapping. His choice. His quirk. Everything. He talked about his emotional turmoil, the secret blackouts he had kept from Todoroki, all the punishments and assignments he was given in that awful place. He was desperate to understand it all, and it broke her heart. She read about her son's relationship with his friend, and all she felt was joy that he had found someone to talk to, and maybe even love.

She had learned a lot in her experience with life, and maybe if she had been younger, she would have shunned the idea of her son loving Todoroki, but Izuku was in desperate  need of someone to be there for him, and she understood why it couldn't be her. Who was she to deny him that shred of happiness? Besides, as she grew older, she came to the realization that love was beautiful in all forms, as long as it was healthy and full of consent.

She was sad that she couldn't help him or tell him what she learned, but they seemed to be doing fine.

The last entry was a sad one. Izuku wrote about how he was excited to cook dinner for Todoroki's birthday, and how he planned to tell the other boy how he felt. The he talked about how the blackouts were becoming more serious, and he was worried about when the voice would come back. He was worried that he would hurt someone.

It wasn't hard to guess what happened next.

To make matters worse, she knew who was behind it all. In a fit of fear and rage, Inko picks up her phone and makes a call.

"Hello?"

"Toshinori, you need to get over here right now." Her voice was dangerously calm. "We have things to do."

The call completed and her vision seeing nothing but red, Inko slammed her fist into the wall.

"You bastard," she snarled. She couldn't wait to get her hands on him.

••••••••••••••••••••

The man in the shadows approached Izuku. His shadows seemed lighter. He must be in a good mood.

"Izuku, good, just the one I wanted to see." His pleasant voice made Izuku's skin crawl. "We begin the invasion tomorrow. Be sure to get plenty of rest for your big day."

"Yes, sir."