Evil Isn't the Right Word

It hurts. Every breath pounds against my ribs like a hammer. My eyesight falls in and out of focus. I can only hold my balance for a second before falling to knees. I breathe deeply, despite the pain, in an effort to calm down.

"Hey, are you okay?"Kota asks, rushing to my side. He places his hands on my shoulders as support which I gladly accept.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," I answer. "I just need to, hah, take a second to, hah, breathe," I gasp out.

Standing upright again, my eyes start to focus as I can see a body lying before us. Muscular's unconscious position almost looks tiny compared to the powerful frame that was just threatening us.

"Is he...d-dead?" Kota stammers out.

"Of course not," I reassure him. "He's just unconscious from the temporary lack of oxygen." As if to confirm my claims, a deep gasp fills the air as Muscular's chest rises and falls. His uneven breaths are a harsh reminder of how temporary this victory is. If I remember correctly, it only takes minutes for most people to regain consciousness.

"Kota, we should leave now. Do you know the way down from here?" I ask, fighting to keep my voice calm.

He's caught off guard for a moment before pointing behind us. "I-it's over here," he says with a trace of panic still coursing through him. He runs towards a steep rocky path and I follow close behind.

Each step down the uneven trail sends another jolt of pain through my chest. Even so, I can feel a certain lightness to my step as I jump from rock to rock. The ecstatic feeling of saving someone, defeating a much stronger opponent, and still being alive did as much to numb the pain as the adrenaline. It reminded me of playing Hero with Mom and that childlike pride in a job well done.

The trail begins to flatten out as the loose rock path turns to dirt and grass. Kota slows to a stop as he looks around, unsure of what to do next. I want to escort him to somewhere safe, a place where he won't have to worry about the other League members attacking him. After what Muscular did, I can't be sure that any of them wouldn't go that far. However, any safe place would inevitably mean confronting some Pros. I still have a mission to see through and I can't risk capture.

"Kota, I need you to listen to me very carefully," I start, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Follow this cliffside for as long as you can and when you reach the end of it, head directly towards the lodge," I point at the lodge lights that just barely break through the treeline. This path goes straight through the area that me and Muscular were guarding so it should be the safest from any other members. "Just keep going and don't stop for anyone that you don't recognize, okay?" I ask.

He nods hesitantly. "Okay," he answers with tears in his eyes. He's so afraid that he can barely stand but I'm sure that he'll be able to make it. He turns to run away before stopping.

"Um, what's your name?" Kota asks.

Deku is the first thing that comes to mind but I don't think that would be the right thing to say. "It's Midoriya," I respond.

"Well, Mr. Midoriya," he starts before hesitating. He clutches his hands like he's nervous to keep going. He takes a deep breath and boldly demands, "Are you evil too?"

I don't answer as I have to honestly think about what to say. Kota takes my silence as an opportunity to continue.

"Because I know that bastard up there is evil and he seemed to know you and it sounded like you guys were gonna attack everyone else and you sound like evil people," he starts with his anger building and building after every word before dropping off into a timid tone. "But you saved me. You fought him for me and you got hurt because you were helping me." He begins to choke up as he asks, "Why would an evil person do that?"

He looks at me for a response as tears begin to well in his eyes. Without thinking, I respond, "Do you think anybody wants to be evil?". Kota looks confused as I go on.

"Nobody actually wants to be evil. Everyone is just trying to do what they think is right. But it just so happens that some people's definitions of right are different from the majority's. I guess that I'd be one of those people. You and I probably have different ideals too." I place my hand on his head.

"But even though you and I don't agree, I would never want you to get hurt. Because you're just doing what you think is best. We all are. So there's really no point in contemplating large-scale morality at a time like this. For now, I'll just do what I think is right and think about that stuff later."

Kota doesn't say anything in return. Instead, he brushes my hand away from him and starts to run in the direction that I pointed out. It's a disappointing reaction but I shouldn't expect anything more from a kid who's probably been raised to hate me. Just as I turn away to regroup with the others, I hear Kota's voice from behind me.

"Mr. Midoriya!" he calls. I spin back to face him.

"Thank you for saving me! Even if you are evil, you're still not a bad guy!"

I can't think of anything to say so I just give him the widest grin that I can manage. He smiles in return before turning back and running out of sight. As we both resume our solitary journeys, I can't help but notice that the pain in my chest has been replaced by a warm sense of satisfaction.

At first, running through the forest is a major problem. The lack of any decent light source makes every outstretched root a hazard as I sprint in the approximate direction of the closest League members, Dabi and Twice. My vague memory of the map is a poor guide as I stumble through the darkness until a blue light breaks through the trees. Following the pale light to its strongest point, the sound of arguing voices grows louder as I approach.

"Hey man, why do I have to make your stupid clone?" a coy Twice demands. "Are you just too lazy to do it yourself?"

"You have to do it because that's your quirk, dumbass," Dabi responds in an irritated tone. "And would you just do it already? We're gonna have more Pros on our ass soon if-". He suddenly pauses as I break through the trees to the small clearing where the pair is bickering.

Before I can say a word, Dabi raises his hand in my direction as a blue flame sparks on his fingers. The fire grows brighter as (don't know what to put here). I turn all of my forward momentum sideways and dive to the ground as a burst of fire runs past me. The pain in my chest reawakens as I drop facedown to the ground. Dabi's hand follows me as the tips of his fingers start to glow again.

"Relax, it's me!" I cry, raising my head from the dirt.

A quiet "Oh," escapes Dabi's mouth as he lowers his hand. "My bad," he adds.

"Hold on just a moment," Twice boldy demands. "How do we know you're not an imposter?"

"Because, Twice, the only person in this whole forest that can shapeshift is Toga." I respond dryly as I drag my body off the ground. Looking around, I recognize the source of light as more of Dabi's flames. They've begun to consume the forest, with the tree closest to Dabi fully engulfed by fire. They cast a pale light on all of our faces and the mix of smoke and ash in the air is suffocating.

"That's what you think," he responds, "but with a bit of makeup, I can make a pretty convincing lady."

"Speaking of making people, Twice, how about that clone?" Dabi asks sardonically.

"Ugh, fine. You're so needy, man." Twice raises his hands dramatically before abruptly stopping. "Hey, would you guys mind looking away for a few seconds?" he asks. "I get performance anxiety."

Dabi gives Twice an apathetic look before turning around with a sigh. I follow suit, keeping my gaze away from Twice as he works. Just as I start to wonder how long this is going to take, Twice starts clapping. "Okay, I'm done," he states.

Looking back reveals Twice standing next to an exact copy of Dabi. Everything from the facial structure to the scars and stitches is perfectly replicated. The clone looks around with a lazy look in his eyes. His apathy is an exact match for Dabi's.

"Alright buddy, go do stuff," Twice commands as he points away from the student lodge.

"That's... the exact opposite way, Twice," I say.

"God, you're an idiot," the clone mutters as he runs in the correct direction.

The three of us watch as he quickly disappears into the darkness of the forest. "That should be our cue to move," Dabi adds, moving towards an open path in the fire. "I still gotta torch a few more trees so we can corner these brats."

"I'll scout ahead!" Twice yells as he sprints past both of us into the trees.

"Of all the dumbasses to get stuck with," Dabi whispers under his breath.

The two of us move quietly through the forest, Dabi in the lead a few feet ahead. The trail barely illuminated by the pale glow of his flame as they dance around his hands. Fire crackling and popping and trees collapsing in the distance are the only sound in the air. I'm not sure if that's because we're too far from the lodge to hear the chaos or the students haven't realized what's happening yet. Either way, the atmosphere is far too subdued considering how extreme the situation should be.

"So, what the hell are doing here anyways?" Dabi asks, breaking the silence. "You're supposed to be surveying up with the big guy, right?" He doesn't bother to look back at me while he speaks.

"If you're talking about Muscular, I was forced to take him out," I respond nonchalantly.

"Is that so?" he answers with a similarly indifferent tone. "This question might be redundant in a group of psychos like this but why?"

"He attacked me first. He claimed that he planned to kill me and Shigaraki and take control of the League. So I had to eliminate the threat."

"Is it as simple as that? Would you get rid of anyone that got in the League's way?" he asks, this time actually taking the trouble to look back at me.

"Of course I would," I reply in the same casual voice.

Dabi pauses before stating "Well, I'd expect at least that from someone that the Hero Killer saw as worthwhile," and turning his gaze back to the trail.

Once I'm sure that he isn't looking this way anymore, I breath a quiet sigh of relief. It's so hard to act cool! I knew he would ask something like this so I thought of a proper response while I was trying to find the two of them. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to pull of the casual voice but I think I did okay.

My fight with Muscular made me realize something. I'd tricked myself into thinking that a smaller League would mean that the members would be more united but that was wrong. We all have radically different ideas that motivate us and it might not be long until that puts us at conflict with each other. In this group of killers, I'm the odd one out so I'll need to play along in order to keep the League calm. I can't help but wonder how long I can keep it up. What do I do the next time someone needs saving?

Dabi and I continue to make our way through the forest, Dabi taking the occasional pot shot at a nearby tree. After only a few minutes of walking, an odd scent begins to fill the air. It's a sweet smell, different from the smoke of burning wood.

"We must not be far from Mustard's gas," I say out loud, covering my face as a precaution.

"Then this must be where my job ends," Dabi replies as he takes aim and scorches another group of trees. He lets out a yawn as he continues, "I should probably ask Twice about how my clone is doing."

Dabi carelessly calls out "Twice! Where the hell are you, you lazy bastard?" into the night. For a moment, there's no response. Then, the foliage behind Dabi begins to rustle. The black and grey of Twice's costume breaks through the darkness as he trudges forward.

It's not right. Twice typically goes through a thousand moods a day but he's always energetic nonetheless. However, he's just stumbling forth lifelessly like a zombie.

"Attack him," whispers a voice in the darkness.

Twice shudders for a second before charging forwards. Dabi can't react before Twice drives an elbow into his face, knocking him off his feet. As Dabi falls to the ground, Twice takes the opportunity to wrap his hands around Dabi's throat. Dabi starts to grimace as his grip tightens.

I dash forwards and grab Twice's shoulders. Immediately, Dabi lets out a gasp and I notice Twice's fingers loosen almost completely. Taking the chance, I pull Twice off and throw him on the ground.

"Wha- what just happened?" Twice asks in a bewildered tone.

"That's a poor choice of last words," Dabi answers with murder in his voice as his hand starts to burn with a pale light.

"Dabi, give me a minute!" I demand, desperately trying to drag his hands from their intended target. "What happened to you, Twice?"

"I- I don't know?" he stammers out. "Someone in the forest asked me what my name was and just as I started to answer, the world went dark. Like I was sleepwalking except I didn't pee myself this time."

"So, somebody was able to control you," I think out loud. " I don't recall there being a student with a quirk like that and none of the Pros could do that either."

"You guys seem stumped," a voice calls from the forest. I recognize it's scratchy tone as the same one that commanded Twice to attack. From it's source, a teenager with wild purple hair steps out of the treeline. His face is accented by dark bags under his eyes and a general look of self importance. "Didn't expect to be so thoroughly outclassed, huh?"

"For your Information, brat," Dabi starts as he picks himself off the ground, "all you've managed to do is-". He suddenly stops, his eyes having gone blank. Before I can ask him what's wrong, Dabi's hand starts to glow again as he raises it towards my face.

For the second time tonight, I find myself diving to the ground to dodge a burst of flame that licks my back as it passes over. Unlike before, the stream of fire is constant as Dabi drags his hand towards my landing spot. I'm forced to scramble to my feet and spring in order to outrun the blaze that chases me.

"Dabi, wake up!" I cry as I point my finger at him. I activate Imepl and launch an appendage directly at his face. It strikes him square between the eyes and, just like with Twice, the effect is immediate. Dabi's eyes slide back into focus as the fire spouting from his hand starts to fade. "Wh-what the hell did I do?" he asks himself.

With Dabi back to normal, I turn my attention back to the student. Despite the confident smirk that he's wearing, I can see the fear in his eyes. He seems to understand that I've realized that touch is the only way to break his hold on people. But I'm still not sure how he does it. If he was able to control anyone of us on a whim than he would just keep taking control again and again. And if he could, why would he bother to show himself? It's like he's taunting us to get a response. A response.

That's it.

"Don't answer him!" I call out. "He'll control you the second you respond." It's only a hypothesis and it could be wrong. But the sudden panic that seeps into the student's expression tells me that I'm right.

"You must be desperate if you're flailing for answers like that," he responds, trying to save face. "I'd expect nothing less from a bunch of second-rate criminals."

This time, Dabi doesn't fall for it. Silently, he gives the student a condescending look as he points a finger gun at him. The tips of finger start to burn once again. Genuine fear fills the student's eyes as he turns and runs. He's barely reached the tree line before the flames crash into the forest. The air is filled with smoke and the sound of wood snapping as the area is lit up with a hazy blue. My skin tightens when I notice how Dabi gazes at the inferno with a proud look in his eyes as the fire consumes everything.

"Pretty sure we call that overkill," Twice jokes. The sick feeling in my stomach would agree as I imagine that poor guy's painful last moments. But the tight knot loosens as I notice a spot of purple moving through the smoke.

"You two should move on and support Spinner and Magne while I look for the others," I request.

"Others?" Dabi asks.

"If one student is out this far, then there's a chance that some other students came with him. Might as well be thorough and check the whole area."

Dabi digests it for a second before shrugging. "Whatever you say. Just don't get your ass kicked," he adds as he turns and starts walking in the direction of the student lodge.

"Thanks for the save, Deku," Twice calls out as he races to catch up with Dabi.

I wait until they've fully disappeared from view to run towards the last spot where I saw the student. He's probably hurt but if he's still moving around then he can be saved. Walking around I can see the flames go farther than a few trees into the forest. There's no clear path behind the fire so I'm forced to walk in the same direction that he seemed to be moving. I move slowly and quietly as the light from the fire grows dimmer and dimmer behind me.

My caution proves to unnecessary as I soon find the student leaning against a tree in plain sight. He seems to have escaped Dabi's attack with no massive injuries and only a few burns travelling down his right side. I stop trying to hide myself as I approach, not wanting to imply that I'm attacking him. With the snap of a stick beneath my foot, the student turns to face me.

"You,' he starts, his voice tired and breathless. "Did you come here to finish me?". I open my mouth to respond before remembering his quirk and slamming it shut.

"Well, I don't care," he mutters quietly as he leans down. His left hand flails at the ground until his fingers find a thick, fallen tree branch. "I can't let myself be stopped by trash like you!" he roars, charging forward.

The wild look in his eyes tells me that he's fighting off instinct. He's tilted to his left side, probably because he's right handed and is unused to fighting with his non dominant hand. With such a powerful quirk, there's a good chance that he's unused to close combat in a scenario like this.

Keeping this mind, I'm calm when he swings the branch at me. I move closer, within a few inches of him so that the branch strikes the empty air behind me. At this distance, all it takes is a swift kick to the leg to send him tumbling forward. I get out of the way of his fall with a quick sidestep. Then, I drive my elbow into the back of his head and use all my weight to slam it into the ground.

The student can barely let out a gasp as he collides face first with solid ground. He begins to raise his head before falling to the ground, his body too exhausted to continue. I flip him over and check his head for damage. There's a gash above his right eye from the impact but other than that, he doesn't look seriously hurt. I can't speak for internal damage so I can only hope that I didn't go too far in trying to pacify him.

"S-s-stop right there!" calls a quivering yet eccentric voice. I turn to see another student covered in leaves emerge from the foliage. It's surprising that I didn't see him considering his bright blond hair and the aura of fear that emanates from him. His legs are quivering, he's on the verge of tears, and he's trying to thrust his pelvis at me as a threat.

"M-monsieur, you'd better step away from him or else!" the student demands.

"You're this guy's classmate, right?" I ask, doing my best to stay serious.

"Oui," he responds.

"Good, then you should take care of him." I get to my feet and start to walk away. "He needs to get that cut bandaged up."

"Wait," the student protests, "you are a villain, no? Why would you just leave us alone?" His posture has relaxed as his curiosity has overwhelmed his fear.

"Well, are either of you gonna chase after me?" I ask plainly.

"Um, no," he replies.

"Then I've done what I had to do, fight the enemy and get them out of our way. So there isn't really any reason to fight anymore, is there?" I don't give the student the time to ask anymore questions as I run back into the forest. All I can do is hope that he'll be able to protect his classmate through the rest of the night.

I keep my ears as open as possible as I travel in roughly the same direction that Dabi and Twice did. That student's presence confirmed my idea that some students may already be on the move. Whether they're escaping or trying to hunt down us villains, they're a problem either way. Just as that thought crosses my mind, I hear loud footsteps somewhere in front of me. I break my forward momentum and ready myself to attack the first thing that moves. A dark shape emerges from behind a tree and I almost activate Impel before recognizing their black and grey attire.

"Hello, Twice," I start off, the tension in my body quickly giving way to a slight sense of frustration. "Weren't you going with Dabi?"

"Nah," he answers casually. "I got the feeling that he was really pissed. He kept stepping on flowers and burning their remains. Figured that it was safer with you than him. So, did you find anybody?"

"Uh, no. There wasn't anybody nearby," I respond, lying through my teeth. "Although, that reminds me, how's Dabi's clone doing? The one you sent to fight the teachers?"

"Oh, that guy got his ass kicked a while ago."

"What?! Then make another one!" I yell. "We'll get overrun if the teachers and the Pros regroup."

"Chill, it's all taken care of," Twice answers in a relaxed tone. "The big boss guy is taking care of him."

"Shigaraki?" I ask spectically. Shigaraki wanted to make himself look more commanding by not coming. Why would he be here?

"No, the other boss. You know, the stabby one," Twice adds.

I think for a moment before replying. "Stain?"