My League Of Villains

"Hey, do you want some coffee?"

"Oh thanks, Sakura, you're a lifesaver!"

Midoriya and his friends were all studying at Dazai's place. Just a few days passed since the beginning of the school year, but the teachers were all eager to test them. It was like they had a bet on who assigned more homework in the least amount of time. The winner was, without doubt, Yuuji-sensei. At first, Izuku believed it was his fault since, during the Interview, they had a clash of ideals. Arikawa told him he was wrong and that Yuuji-sensei tortured all classes equally, but it didn't change the fact he was being way fiercer lately. Luckily she wasn't hurt too much after their fight and, despite telling him he had scary eyes when he beat her, she still wanted to be his friend. In this time of suffering, even the top brains were struggling to keep up so, to the original seven, two other members joined the study group: Sakura Yamiyo and Dazai Toshizo. On the first day, Ryuzaki was trying to hit on Sakura and was almost beaten to a pulp, but, thanks to Midoriya, things were smoothed up. After this incident, she always hung out with them. Dazai was from a rich family of merchants who wanted to get in politics and. At school, everybody thought of him as an introvert type, but that was only because he was very serious about his studies and reputation. They met him during the weekend, while they were blowing off some steam by taking a trip to Ikebukuro. They had a pleasant afternoon, and they clicked with him quickly, so he didn't have any problem in offering his home for the studying session.

"Is this stuff all for tomorrow?" g.r.o.a.n.e.d Eiichiro biting his pencil.

"No, tomorrow we have the meeting at the Police Station with Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi. I've got a message from the school. Didn't you see it?"

Everyone looked at Ryuzaki, who was slacking off on a couch with his phone. Dark energies exuded from them and pierced his back. [SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT EARLIER, IDIOT!]

The Police Station was buzzing with life: criminals, lawyers, heroes, villains, reporters and officers were constantly going in and out. In the Conference Room, a tall detective in a brown overcoat was watching over an audience of high schoolers. Their eyes filled with hope and curiosity were a pleasant change from the tiredness and seriousness which often permeated this place.

"Hi, my name is Naomasa Tsukauchi, I'm a Detective and I was also one your Examiners," they called him at the last minute, so he couldn't write a speech, but he already had some ideas and his sister helped him too, "You all did a good job. There was only one problem: quirks. We aren't heroes. Long ago the Police made the choice of not weaponizing quirks. The reason why others had lower scores than others was mainly because of their focus on the objectives. Fighting the villains comes after securing the hostages. It is very rare for a police officer to even use his quirk in this kind of situations. Your best options are your equipment and the SPP (Standard Police Protocols)." he paused to see if he still had the students attention, then he continued "In the Force, a common joke is "there's a Protocol for everything, even slacking off". While it is actually true I don't recommend to do it to anyone planning a career here. But, that's not the point. In the past, quirkless people were the majority on this planet, and, to deal with the 'Anomalies', as villains outbreaks were once called, it wasn't possible to counter it with quirks. That's why the top minds in science and military gathered together and wrote the Anomaly Restraint Procedures, our system's origins..."

Suddenly, a police officer with a cat head slammed the doors open.

"Detective Tsukauchi! There's an emergency at the U.S.J.! The students have been attacked by a group of villains!"

"What? Is everyone ok?"

"Yes, All Might and the other teachers arrived at the scene just in time. It seems there are no injured, but we have to hurry and take the villains into custody. The heroes cannot restrain them for long. There are too many of them."

"Call all the free officers, we are going right now!"

The police officer tugged on the collar of his shirt. "W-we had another emergency in Ikebukuro... we don't have enough man. The other Stations are too far. It would take too long waiting for reinforcements."

Ryuzaki snickered "What do the Protocols say in this case, detective?" he was about to go on but Midoriya skillfully shut him up.

Tsukauchi looked at him. Then he looked at his classmates. Then at professor Yuuji who was escorting them. Yuuji-sensei nodded. "They're all yours. It's a good opportunity to learn how to arrest and support on the field, making a real experience."

Midoriya was running all over the place, delivering handcuffs, villain positions and even water bottles. He couldn't make the arrest himself, it was illegal, but he still had to tackle and constrain a few of them, as a "concerned law-abiding citizen cooperating with the Police". He took a pause and leaned against a tree. It was a tiresome job. And what he used to consider a comfortable uniform was slowly baking him to death. Attached to it there was an 'Apprentice Badge' that granted him access to the crime scene. Apparently, it was true, there really was a Protocol for everything. In the distance, a bunch of teenagers in colourful suits came into his vision. [Ah, they must this year's U.A. freshmen. They were lucky to survive.]

"And then, BOOOM, the villains and the building blew up in a bright flame!"

"Shut up and DIE, or I'll blow YOU into pieces!"

[Kacchan? Wow, he really made it...]

"Todoroki was so cool too! He froze them on the place, like a pro!"

[Getting so hyped up for taking down some small fry...]

"...So arrogant."

"So arrogant!"

Izuku was surprised. Who else said that? Beside him, there was a villain. His clothes were a mess, but he didn't have any injury. He was surprised too, maybe that was why he didn't attack him.

"Heroes... are all the same. Treating us as beasts, trophies to nurture their ego and fame... All Might too! My father... he wasn't evil. He was a bank robber, that's true. He made some poor life choices. But he wasn't like those villains. His costume was his clothes from when he worked at the office. He used to say that even criminals needed some 'class'. That's what he was, just a criminal. Greedy. Desperate. But not evil. After All Might captured him, the press destroyed him. He became a monster. And I became the son of a monster... I'm not making excuses for what I did. What I've become. I just want to kill them. To tore them apart. To end this society. You call me a villain. I call things with their real name: I'm a terrorist." The lunatic looked him in the eyes. "So, policeman, stop me, if you can!"

He sprinted towards the hero students. Midoriya extended his hand, but he was too slow. He should have apprehended him earlier, but he couldn't. He... didn't want to. He wanted to listen... He cleared his head. He had to catch him.

A black mass of viscous liquid came out of the villain's hands. His target was Bakugou. Izuku felt his legs slow down. Bakugou was strong. It's true, they were coming from their back, but he could handle it, couldn't he? He was the future n.1 hero, wasn't he? The others were just extras, weren't they? The villain was close. So close.

"What? Watch out, Bakugou! It's a...!"

Katsuki turned around. The black hand was close. Too close. He wouldn't have made it...

"Aaargh-! Ugh! Bleargh!"

Izuku jumped and pushed Bakugou back. His shoulder was melting, but he didn't even make a sound. From the ground, he kicked the criminal on the knee at full force. His leg made a weird angle, but he didn't have time to cry out, that an elbow hit his side, immediately followed by a knee to the stomach. As he fell like a bag of potatoes, he barfed.

「Here 1-A-6, asking for backup. 10-26. 10-33.」

「Copy that!」

"Quick, Mineta! Throw your balls at that villain!"

Before Izuku could say something, two purple balls struck his prisoner and glued down. A cute girl with short brown hair rushed to his side.

"You saved us! Are you hurt? Somebody call...?"

"Deku! What are you doing here?" shouted Bakugou.

He pointed at his attire and at his badge. "I'm obeying my orders, Kacchan!"

"Uh? You two know each other? W-wait, you're the same age as us?"

"I didn't need your help! And stop calling me Kacchan!"

"I don't care, Kacchan."

He stared at him with his mouth open. That weak and feeble Deku dared to talk back to him. That weak and feeble Deku... [He saved me. He saved my life. By someone so weak... a nobody without a quirk... I needed someone like that to SAVE MY LIFE! F***!]

Tsukauchi was quick. He and five other agents took care of the villain, while Sakura and Dazai carried him to the hospital. Everyone, except Bakugou, bowed to thank him and waved when he was carried away.

"He was a badass."

"He's just a quirkless idiot who wants to bite more than he can chew!"

"That makes him even more of a badass."

At the infirmary, Recovery Girl stopped them. "Wait, you can't come in now, just a moment..."

"Please, he is losing a lot of blood. His shoulder is disgusting! I think I can see the bone!"

"Let the boy come in!" When she heard the voice, the old lady sighed and put him on a bed.

The wound was a disaster. It was oozing a thick black liquid and around it, his flesh was being consumed. It was, probably, a toxic acid-like substance. Before using her quirk, she had to clean it.

"What happened?"

"A villain was about to kill a U.A. student, but Midoriya caught him and defeated him in time!"

Recovery Girl smiled and c.a.r.e.s.sed the unconscious youngster's hair. It would be a shame if such a good boy was to die here.

"Now, go away, you others!"

Shortly after, an emaciated figure walked up to them. His blonde hair and deep blue eyes which shined with the pride of justice would have easily mistaken him for a famous hero.

"So, it was you who saved my precious students... I was wrong. How could I not see it? Back then, the light in your eyes was the same as mine. I remember you. I betrayed you."

"Toshinori, you know him?"

Midoriya opened his eyes. He had heard a voice. A familiar voice. The voice of someone who appeared in his dreams and nightmares.

"All Might?"

The two a.d.u.l.ts stared in shock at him. With such wounds, while the acid was still burning through him, and with all the blood loss, it was already enough if he could sleep without screaming in pain. Yet, without anaesthesia or the help of a quirk, he was so lucid he could talk.

"Yes, I'm here!"

Midoriya looked at the living ghost in front of his eyes. The walking bag of bones who call himself the Symbol of Peace. He had seen in the past photos of retired heroes. Doing this job was a sacrifice in more than a way. Overusing the quirks. Constant fighting. But this. This was too much of a contrast. The best hero reduced like this. It made sense in a way. To wield the greatest, power he had to pay the highest price. Or maybe, a villain made him pay the price. Seeing his idol's image, shattering before his eyes, he didn't feel disappointed, desperate or sad. He found it funny. It was like schadenfreude, but more bitter. A dark joke without the punchline. Some kind of double-edged irony. He wanted to laugh. If his neckbone wasn't having a nice view of the outside world he would have already burst out laughing in their faces. He spat some blood.

"Midoriya, I know what I said in the past, but you too can be a hero!" [What? Dude, I'm almost at my limit here! I'm really going to laugh!]

"I have been looking for a successor," [Pffft!] "I thought I've found one, but you, you truly are what I'm looking for!" [Stop! Stop now. please! You're killing me!]

"Young Midoriya. Would you take my quirk, and become the new Symbol of Peace?"

[...]

"No." He locked eyes with the astonished hero. "You were wrong. Everyone's wrong. I don't need a quirk to be better than you, and I will prove it! But most of all, I don't want yours." then, he fainted.

He regretted those words. He was too arrogant. An offer like that doesn't knock twice on your door. It was late at night. One of the perks of living alone, he got to decide when to go to bed. Also, his mom couldn't see the cans of beer and the packet of cigarettes. They weren't his. His master, Jinnai forgot them on his way out, he had to catch the train. He visited him to congratulate him on his first place at TMPA's Sports Festival. Someone else he knew got first place at a Sports Festival. U.A.'s Sports Festival. Katsuki Bakugou. It was like winning gold at the Olympiads if the Olympiads were still a thing. It was an honour and a privilege. The moment when a future hero's talent and hard work were showcased. The birth of a new bright star. And all he did was behave like a psychopathic clown. Izuku drank a gulp of beer and lighted a cigarette. He put again the Closing Ceremony on the tv. [It should... No, it could've been me on that stage. If I said yes. If I swallowed my pride. Pride? Didn't I want to save people? What good is pride for?] He took another gulp. [Save people...] Bakugou's image returned to his mind. His frightened and surprised face. A black hand reaching for his head and melting it into an unrecognizable bloody paste. [What if some people didn't deserve to be saved? Kacchan... he's probably the one All Might was talking about. His successor. Even if he doesn't deserve it. Even if he never deserved anything. Am I the only one seeing it? He is crazy, mean and violent! He is not a hero! He will never be a hero!]

Midoriya looked up to the moon in the sky and coughed. Those cigarettes were disgusting. He inspired another mouthful of smoke into his lungs. Truly disgusting.