Chapter 8

****

If u like this fanfic Join my discord for more fanfics and faster release:- https://discord. gg/qxvX7Tvpqp (without space)

****

The tobacco stick in Giran's mouth dipped down as he frowned at the boy's depressed demeanour. "Oh, I don't anything from you, kid. It's what I can do for you!"

"And what's that?" Deku inquired, his embarrassment brushed aside by his suspicions of the man before him.

Giran smirked as he fished out another cigarette and lit it up. He took a long drag before blowing a straight line of smoke from his missing tooth. "I can help you go from being a small-time crook...to full-fledged pro-villain!"

The green-haired boy found himself a little intrigued by what the shady businessman was saying. "A pro-villain?"

Giran grinned until a raindrop came out of nowhere and landed right on the end of his cigarette, snuffing it out in an instant. The two looked up to see the dark clouds above beginning to drizzle, intending on pouring down in a matter of moments.

Giran looked back at the boy and put on his most winning smile. "How about a drink?"

The green-haired boy and 'businessman' made their way to a quaint little cafe on the edge of town the man knew of. Giran sat at one end of one of the booths, while Deku drummed his fingers anxiously at the other. Soon enough, a waitress came over, pulling out a notepad and pencil from her hip. "What can I get you?"

"I'll have a coffee. Black." The gap-toothed man grinned charmingly.

The waitress jotted his order down before looking over to the green-haired boy, perking up a little at his nervous-looking face. "And how about you, cutie?"

"Huh?!" Deku blanched at the sudden compliment. "Oh! U-Um...I d-don't drink c-coffee..."

"That's okay, sweetie-pie! One coffee, and one hot cocoa, coming up." The waitress giggled as she took his order and walked away. Giran watched the waitress go, enjoying the view before turning back to his latest client. "Anyone ever told you you're way too innocent to be a villain?"

Deku gave a timid chuckle as he scratched the back of his head until he realised what they were here for, turning more serious with a clearing of his throat. "So, Mr...I mean, Giran. What do you mean when you say I could be a 'pro-villain'?"

"It's like I said, Kid. I think you got what it takes to be a big name in the villain world." Giran clarified as he took out a fresh tobacco stick and lit it up, blowing a stream of smoke out of his missing tooth. "I can connect you to some... associations I'm familiar with, who could use a little assistance in their ventures, whenever a hero should show up."

Deku was perplexed by the gap-toothed man's explanation. "Wait, so... are you saying that I work with different villain gangs and use what I know about quirks in case a hero tries to stop us? Like, a freelance villain?"

"Exactly, a freelance villain!" Giran cheered. "I couldn't have put it better myself! you help gangs with any hero trouble they come across, and get a cut of the dealings for playing your part...as well as a well-earned sum on the side, for yours truly."

Deku chuckled a little it that. "Sounds like you've done this before."

Giran grinned. "As a wise man once said; 'If you're good at something, never do it for free.'"

The conversation was put on hold when the waitress came back with their order. She set a cup of coffee in front of the villain broker, and a mug of hot cocoa before the boy. Deku looked into his serving and found that his drink had been decorated with marshmallows. He looked back to the waitress, who shot him a smile as she left.

Deku felt a small smile tug at his lips as he took a sip of his sweet warm beverage. However, his smile only made way for a frown to appear on his face as he looked down at the table. Giran noticed the change in the boy's behaviour and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What's the matter, kid? I thought you were happy about all this."

"Oh! I-I am, I am!" Deku declared quickly. "But...I just don't know if I can do it."

"What?!" The gap-toothed man nearly dropped his fag. "Why not?"

The young analyst took another sip before explaining himself. "It's just...Sure, I know a lot about heroes and their quirks. And I'm also getting some training on how to fight, and how to make a getaway from some friends. But...Even with all that, I still don't know if I'd be of much help to anyone...without a quirk."

A moment of tense silence filled the air between the villain broker and villain-in-training. Deku decided to gulp down the rest of his cocoa before grabbing his bag and getting up from his seat. "I'm sorry, Giran. But I think you'd do better finding someone else. Thank you for the cocoa."

The boy passed the businessman with his eyes cast downward. Giran merely sipped at his bitter black brew before speaking. "Did I mention that I just so happen to be in association with a technological corporation that specializes in hero-grade support gear?"

The squeak of shoes against the floor told Giran that Deku had stopped in his tracks the moment he heard that, without having to turn back.

The sound of rapid pattering of feet drawing closer came to Giran's ears, until Deku was back, staring at him as if he just told him he had just gained his quirk after all these years. "S-Support gear?! L-Like actual, real support gear that the heroes use?!"

The businessman gave the boy a coy smirk. "Must have slipped my mind."

Deku planted himself back in his seat, leaning in close to the man so he could hear everything the broker would say.

"A certain technological conglomerate, which for the sake of business will remain anonymous, has been producing gear that aids folks in coping with their out-of-hand quirks for years. Clothes, accessories, physical aids, you name it!" The gap-toothed man revealed as he sipped his drink again. "They've also had a hand in making the same kind of products to those who live a more...underhanded...lifestyle. For example...you ever heard of 'Toxic Chainsaw'? How do think he got that name?"

"No way...!" The villain-in-training gasped. "Are you serious?! Toxic Chainsaw got his trademark weapon from you?!"

"Well, through me, is more like it." Giran clarified. "I can hook you up with so much tech, it won't even matter that you're Quirkless. You could become more than a legit threat to any hero who tries to stop you, on any of the jobs I can find."

Deku He couldn't help but get a little excited at what he was hearing. One of the things he loved about heroes almost as much as their quirks, was their gear. They way they had them tailored so they could better accommodate their powers was amazing. Heck, with everything that support gear could do, even someone without a quirk could have a chance at being a hero!

If only they were given one...

The gap-toothed man surprised Deku as he got up from his seat, his cup of coffee long empty. "W-Wait! Where are you going?"

"I'm a busy man, kid. I got a lot of other clients to visit and do business with. But don't think I'm leaving you high and dry." Giran reached into his jacket and pulled out a small card. "When your ready for the big leagues, give me a call. See you around, Deku."

The gap-toothed man then walked out of the cafe and into the open air, the rain beginning to subside. Deku looked back at the card, seeing a phone number imprinted on the front. The villain-in-training leaned back in his chair, his mind slowly absorbing all of the information he had been given.

The weight of trepidation was thick upon his shoulders. Deku may have been running with a gang of thieves for the past few months, as well as a pair of viral villains, and a blood-thirsty gladiator. But that didn't mean he trusted every crook out there. For all he knew, that sleazy-looking, smooth-talking hustler could be trying to swindle him out of what he had. And after the few heists he'd played a part in, he had quite a bit.

But then again, there was the small, slim, one-out-of-ninety-nine Percent chance, that the villain broker was telling the truth. That he could really help set the Quirkless child up as a career criminal, as well as get him the equipment that can make him an equal to any quirk wielder. Maybe more so! Was he willing to let a chance like this slip through his fingers? He was never given a chance to prove what he was capable of before, until now.

Deku opened up his backpack and rummaged inside until he found his notebook. He opened it up to a page he hadn't looked at in the last four months. It was an illustration of what he hoped to have been his hero costume. A green jumpsuit to match his hair, an overhead mask that had a toothy smile pattern over the mouth, and two long streaks of cloth?...Hair?...he didn't really think much about it at the time.

But the whole thing was supposed to resemble a hero he looked up to his entire life...until he met him and told him to give up.

All Deku wanted was someone to believe in him, but he never found that someone in the society of hero and quirk worship. But here, in the underground, he'd found more people who supported him than ever before.

Before he could make any kind of decision, there was one important thing that Deku had to do...

"...So, he left his card and then walked away. I gotta be honest with you, I'm...kind of thinking about it. But, I don't wanna go behind your backs! You were the first ones who gave me a chance, and who actually believed in me. I don't want to betray you guys or anything, but...this could be my one chance to be...more than just a...Quirkless know-it-all. A-And I'd still be with you guys! We'd still go on jobs together and-"

Deku stopped when a hand was gently placed on his shoulder. He looked up into the face of Spector, a crook wearing a grey suit jacket and a red button-up shirt. The man gave the boy an encouraging grin. "Go for it."

"W-Wait, really?!" The green-haired boy blanched.

"Kid, we're just a bunch of petty, small-time crooks," Spector went on as the rest of the gang stood by, beaming with pride at their little strategist. "If anyone of us has what it takes to make it big, it's you."

"I-I...I don't know what to say..." Deku shook his head in disbelief of what he was hearing, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Don't say anything," Lockjaw, a man with an enormous overbite and a yellow bandana on his head spoke up next. "Just call up Giran and take his offer."

"You'll never get the other chance like this. so go ahead and take it!" Knuckles, the biggest of the group, with a blue necktie and massive metal mitts for hands pitched in.

An arm wrapped itself around Deku's neck as Razor, the skinny man with bladed wrists that he saved all those months ago, hugged him from the side. "I always knew you were something special, Deku! And this proves it without a doubt! So, call him up, and become the big, bad villain that I know you can be!"

The Quirkless child felt tears start to prickle in his eyes. He wiped them away on his sleeve before speaking, his voice starting to crack. "If you guys ever need me...I'll always be here! Don't you dare leave me out on a heist!"

The four crooks began to tear up themselves, as they all rushed the boy and gave him a bone-crushing group hug. "LITTLE BRO~!"

For the next half hour, Deku and the gang of thieves he called his friends, wept warm, brotherly tears as the sun began to set.

After the flood of emotions among the gang, Deku decided to head home. He laid on his pull-out bed, staring at the card in his hand and the number it held. Deciding it was now or never, he sat up, took out his phone and dialled the number.

After a few rings, the other line picked up. "Whoever this is, make it quick. I'm a busy man."

"Giran? It's Deku." The villain-in-training answered. "...I'm in."

"I knew you'd come around, kid!" Deku could practically hear the man grinning on the other end. "I've got a gig lined up for you already! Some street gang wanting to strike it rich!"

"That's great!" The green-haired boy smiled. "Oh! One more thing!" Deku took up the notebook by his side, looking at the illustration of his old hero design, which he'd made a few modifications to. "I had some ideas for my costume, along with some gear. Do you think you could-"

"Kid, kid, don't worry about it!" The villain broker eased. "Just let me know what you need, and I'll get it! I also have a few ideas myself you might wanna hear."

"That would be great! Thanks!" Deku beamed.

"Hey, it's my job, ain't it?" Giran chuckled. "You know what, kid? I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship! Let's meet up at the cafe to hash out your order...and my fee. Talk to you later!"

With that, the broker hung up. Deku fell back onto his bed, a content smile on his face. It was happening...it was really happening!

His smile slowly started to morph, his eyes growing dark. A manic, unhinged grin split across his face, as he stared wide-eyed into the distance. There was no going back now! This was his first step, into becoming a full-fledged Villain!

His phone rung to life, taking him out of his thoughts and wiping the insane expression from his face. He scrambled to pick it up and answered the vibrating device. "Hello?"

"DEKU! WHERE THE HECK DID YOU GO, MAN?! YOU COMPLETELY BLEW OFF YOUR TRAINING!"

Oh, yeah...he forgot...he left Rappa and Drunk Lee behind...

...Crud.

****

If u like this fanfic Join my discord for more fanfics and faster release:- https://discord. gg/qxvX7Tvpqp (without space)

****