MHA: Dark Matter

Far from U.A. and in a calmer environment, the injuries from the brief skirmish made themselves known. Cracks in my leg bones were a much smaller problem than my broken arm. I still couldn't move it properly. I looked at the pair.

"We got wiped out… Even Nomu couldn't handle it… Our subordinates were taken out instantly… And the Symbol of Peace wasn't even close to weakened!…"

Shigaraki muttered under his breath, breathing heavily. They didn't look good either. Torn and disheveled clothing, several hands missing from his faceplate, Kurogiri's metal plates bent. The atmosphere was bad too. Though, when was it ever good around them? It felt like they were trying to play at being classic evil for all of Japan.

A flash of pain from my arm reminded me that it was time to get out of here. But first, I needed to collect my reward.

"So, guys, you can keep wailing about how unfair the world is to villains and villain society in general. But I have urgent business, like online gaming with friends, and I'd like to collect my loot from this quest."

The red eyes visible through the fingers attached to his face began to glare at me with malice. Yeah, I'm not great at diffusing tense situations.

"Don't give me that evil stare. I did my part of the deal. I got the curriculum schedule, I kept the kids occupied, I traded blows with All Might, and I even came out relatively intact. I'm practically a hero."

I straightened my back at the last words, but my arm reminded me of its presence again. Still, I didn't show it to my conversation partners. Showing weakness in front of such "allies" was like hanging a sign over your head inviting them to finish you off. The hand faced man stood up, holding his ribs.

"Did you kill those kids?"

"No."

I answered casually, watching his hands and Kurogiri closely.

"Why not?"

"What for? You asked me to occupy the kids, and I occupied them. None of the ones Kurogiri warped got in the way of your fight with the Symbol of Peace."

Judging by his even angrier look, my answer hadn't pleased someone. The silence that followed my words was broken by a synthesized voice.

*"Kurogiri, give him the flash drive with the information about Haijima."*

On the monitor hanging from the ceiling, a gray background appeared with a vague shadow, from which a figure spoke. Hearing this voice, Shigaraki instantly calmed down, and the third person began to search behind the bar counter. Until he handed me a black flash drive, everyone remained silent.

*"Can we count on your services in the future?"*

I felt uneasy from this stranger's voice. I couldn't figure out why, but my subconscious seemed to whisper not to anger this person.

"Of course. But only for a price. And I'm not fond of killing heroes or academy students."

I maintained a carefree tone.

*"But that didn't stop you from killing one."*

This man's interest unnerved me more and more. Shigaraki's attention to the stranger's words did not escape my eyes either.

"Well, he was unlucky. I was in a bad mood that day."

After a second of silence, he said:

*"Fine. I look forward to our future cooperation."*

I had the feeling that in that second, I had been taken apart piece by piece, examined, and then put back together. Only after sensing a hint that the conversation was over did I quickly leave. "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." That saying had come to mind before when I considered further cooperation with the League of Villains. But we must not forget that it works both ways.

- - -

Several days had passed since the attack on the U.S.J. This event had rocked all of Japan. The very fact of an unpunished attack by villains on the number one hero academy had agitated society and seriously tarnished U.A.'s reputation. Only the fact that none of the students were seriously injured kept the matter from escalating further.

But I didn't care about that. Midoriya had been somewhat depressed for a while, but the news about the sports festival cheered him up. After examining him again with my "Gaze," I said goodbye.

Walking along one of the streets of Musutafu, my thoughts were far from the city views. Fortunately, I hadn't had any classes during the incident. And thanks to U.A. being closed for a day, I had been able to fully recover using some acquaintances with healing Quirks. It was a shame they couldn't fully heal me after that fight with number forty one. My body had been too exhausted and damaged back then, despite the wounds that had healed with my Quirk's help.

I was, of course, ready to pretend everything was fine at the academy the next day, since I had taken care of my treatment immediately after leaving that bar. But thanks to this unexpected day off, my body had had time to recover. Noting this undoubtedly good fact, I returned to my thoughts about Midoriya and Toshinori.

The fact that Izuku was personally trained by the Symbol of Peace himself was like being hit in the face with a dusty sack. And the realization that the teenager's Quirk might have come from All Might was the finishing blow.

But no less shocking was the appearance of the Symbol of Peace in everyday life. I had suspected that Toshinori was strong, but I hadn't expected that he and All Might were the same person. Despite the stark contrast between the ultra muscular man who creates shockwaves with his fists and the skinny man hacking up blood, I was sure my guess was correct.

Because of this, I even postponed reviewing the information about Haijima for later. I later made sure that the information would still be relevant after the sports festival. After all, I needed to be in good shape by the start of the festival, since all departments participate. I anticipated the possibility of injuries during my revenge on Haijima, and I didn't want to draw U.A.'s administration attention with potential injuries.

On regular school days, I could bribe someone to get a sick note for the duration of my actions against Haijima. But with the sports festival approaching and after the villain attack, the administration would be on high alert. They might take an interest in anything unusual, even a student's absence due to illness. It would be better for me to overestimate Principal Nezu's paranoia than to get caught on a small detail. The cost of a mistake could be too high. I wasn't ready to pay it.

Suddenly, I remembered the face of the number one hero. Was his current appearance the price he paid for possessing incredible power? Or the result of a past mistake? And would I have to pay a similar price in the future?

Suddenly, someone hugged me around the waist. Startled both by the action itself and by the fact that I hadn't noticed the person approaching, I flinched. I looked down in confusion at a little girl with vaguely familiar black hair and eyes. She, still hugging me, looked up at me with her slightly glowing gray eyes. A barely noticeable smile played on her pretty face.

"Found you."

********A/N*******

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