Chapter 19: Problems

'Use me,' the voice rang through Kuro's head as he killed Gigantomachia. He shook his head, trying to shake off the voice. 'Use my power.'

"No," Kuro whispered softly to himself.

'Use me,' the voice repeated. It continued to repeated, steadily increasing in volume until it was practically shouting. Kuro shrugged. This wasn't an uncommon occurrence ever since Kuro arrived in this timeline.

"Can it, old man," Kuro said to himself as he landed in front of the hospital. Ignoring the voice was annoying, but it's not like he could do anything about it.

"What happened?" Nana asked. Eri didn't seem to notice, but the troubled expression and the small bit of blood on Kuro's face didn't escape the veteran hero.

Kuro sighed. "Let's just say the bodyguard of All for One's blood actually runs red," Kuro knew he said more than he should have, but he wasn't thinking straight. The voice was still going off in his head, even after the long scolding he got from Recovery Girl, and for the most part, his filter was off.

"YOU FOUGHT GIGANTOMACHIA?!" Nana shouted, staring towards the man. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!"

"Nana, please," Kuro gave the woman a tired smile, causing her stern gaze to falter. "You're going to scare Eri. Yes, I fought him, and I need a nap. We can talk more when I wake up."

Nana tried to think of something to say, but Kuro closed the door behind him. "Mama?" Eri tugged on Nana's sleeve. Nana had taken on more of a motherly role for Eri, taking care of her when Kuro was off doing god knows what. She didn't expect it the first time Eri had called her that, but she was slowly starting to accept the role. "Did papa do something bad?"

"No, young one," Nana put on a smile, despite the worry she had for her benefactor. She crouched down and patted Eri's head. "He just did something dangerous, but that's just what heroes do."

When Kuro opened his eyes, he was back in the war. Both of his arms were busted and he was standing in front of a beaten and bloodied Shigaraki. "It's over, Shigaraki," the words came out of Kuro's mouth. He realized that he was reliving the events in his dream.

"Not… yet…" Shigaraki said before dashing, grabbing Kuro's face with his hand. Kuro screamed. The fact that this was a dream didn't affect the huge amount of pain that coursed through Kuro's body at that moment. Kuro saw Shigaraki's sick smile as he blacked out.

"Welcome back, Izuku," Kuro whirled around as he heard the voice. Standing before him was All for One, the twisted grin plastered on his face. "So nice to see you again."

"Oh, it's just you," Kuro looked around at the ceaseless void that surrounded him. "You really need to do some redecorating. This place hasn't changed at all since I last saw you."

"We're in your mind," All for One stated, causing Kuro to scoff. "Maybe if you used a bit of my power, then you can reshape this plane to be more to your liking."

"You wish," Kuro scoffed. "Shigaraki might have been you little bitch, but I'm not like him."

"You're awfully pleasant," All for One said. "Finally done trying to punch me in your own head?"

"I've mellowed out since you last dragged in here," Kuro said. "Inko's cookies does wonders."

"That they do," All for One said, nodding thoughtfully. He then looked at Kuro, who was staring at the "ground", seemingly deep in thought. "What is it? It looks like you have something to say."

"I'm going to save you," Kuro declared, causing All for One's smile to falter. "I've done a lot of thinking. We want the same thing, a better world. The only difference between us is that I don't want to cleanse the world in fire. We can work together. Create a better world. Save everyone."

"You're an idiot, Midoriya Izuku," One for All scoffed.

"Maybe I am," Kuro said, turning around. "But I'll will save you."

With that, Kuro started to walk away before vanishing from the plane.

All for One scoffed as Kuro vanished. Save him? Preposterous. "He's an interesting fellow, isn't he?" All for One turned to see a blond man walking up, stopping next to the villain.

"You must be proud of him, brother," All for One sneered. "But yes, he is interesting."

Kuro's eyes fluttered open to see Nana holding his hand, a worried expression on her face. "That's quite forward of you," he teased her. "Aren't we supposed to wait for marriage?"

"W-what?! No!" Nana's hand tore away from Kuro's as she looked away, her face red. "It's just… you looked like you were having a bad dream."

"I'm kidding," Kuro said, sitting up from his bed. "Thank you, though."

"You're welcome," Nana said, smiling. After a brief pause, Nana's smile vanished. "Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, may I ask you what the hell you were thinking?"

"Well I was patrolling the-"

"Don't start with that," Nana held her hand up. "All Might told me that Gigantomachia hasn't left the mountains ten kilometers off away from Musutafu."

"Speaking of All Might," Kuro said, pausing. After a few seconds, his phone started to ring. Kuro picked it up and answered the call, putting it on speaker.

"Kuro!" All Might boomed. "Great news! When we noticed that Gigantomachia wasn't coming up on the camera, I decided to see if he made a move, but when I got there, he was dead!"

Nana's face paled. "Kuro… how did you…" She trailed off. Kuro just winked at the woman.

"Are you implying…" All Might started. "Of course it was you. We need to talk in person."

All Might, Nana, and Kuro sat in the support group room a Kuro called it. "So you killed Gigantomachia?"

"Yep," Kuro said. "With my own two hands."

"How?" Nana asked. "Even the best pro heroes of my generation can barely dent the giant."

"I dunno," Kuro shrugged. "I just punched him really hard."

"One does not simply punch the head off of Gigantomachia," All Might said sternly.

"Have you tried?" Kuro shot back.

"Yes," All Might said, as if remembering a particularly bad memory. "Yes I have."

Before they can continue their conversation, Kuro heard a knock on the door. "Excuse me," Kuro said as he stood up. He wasn't expecting anyone. Maybe it was HeroBay delivering Eri's present. He opened the door to see a woman with blue skin and white hair.

"Hi!" She chirped excitedly. "Have you seen Himiko Toga?"

"No," Kuro said sternly. "She is out shopping with her friends."

Of course, it was a complete lie, but she didn't have to know that. He started to think of ways to get everyone out of there.

"What a shame. You'll have to do," the woman said, smiling brightly. "My name is Kizuki Chitose, and I am with the Shoowaysha Publishing Company. Can I trouble you for an interview?"

Kuro lead Curious to his living room. "Make yourself at home," Kuro said. "Would you like anything to drink?"

"A water would be excellent," Curious smiled, seemingly overjoyed. Kuro nodded and walked off. Instead of going to his kitchen, he decided to make a few stops. He opened the door to the support group room. When Nana and All Might turned to face him, he pointed to the window and mouthed the words 'Out. Now.'

The two nodded as Kuro closed the door. He then went to his room and got his phone, scrolling to a contact named "Jail Buddy."

Kuro: Get everyone out of the complex out now. Everyone except the Midoriyas

Jail Buddy: Alright. Why not the Midoriyas?

Kuro: I don't think it would be wise for Deku to see you in an emergency situation

Jail Buddy: Whatever you say

Kuro slid his phone into his pocket before moving to the kitchen and getting a glass of water and a cherry soda before walking back to the living room. "Sorry for the wait," he said, smiling. "I had to use the restroom."

"No problem!" Curious said as the hero sat down, taking the water that Kuro had given her. "Really, it's a privilege to be interviewing you in the first place. No one has ever interviewed you before, Black Lightning."

"Just call me Kuro," Kuro said as he sat down. "I thought that it may finally be time to tell the public about myself."

"So, some witnesses have claimed to see you working with villains," Curious said, the giddy smile on her face as she got out her notepad never fading. "What do you have to say about that?"

"Well, they're not necessarily villains," Kuro replied. "They work under my firm. They have all signed an agreement to stop acts of villainy and work under me."

"How did you manage that?" Curious asked. "It's hard to believe that you just talked several villains out of their way of life."

"I did exactly that," Kuro said. Hiding the truth would just create unrest. "A lot of villains aren't actually bad people. They're just misguided people who have been cast out by society. I just gave them a place to belong."

"That's a very interesting take," Curious said, scribbling notes on her notepad. "What do you believe about laws concerning the limiting of quirks?"

"Oh, those?" Kuro shrugged. He knew what she was trying to do. He has gotten enough intel from his own snooping and heard enough stories from ex-MLA members to know what she was getting at. "They're complete bullshit if you ask me. I understand why the laws might be in place, but they're too limiting. I feel like it's a right for people to use their quirks."

Curious smiled even wider. He was a perfect candidate to be a part of the Meta Liberation Army. She wouldn't approach him about it now, but she would eventually. "But," Kuro said, causing Curious to lean forward. "I believe that some laws should be put in place. Even though I agree with groups like the Meta Liberation Army on some points, I believe that these laws are put there for a reason. Sure, people shouldn't be arrested for using their quirks, but in a world where there are no rules binding anyone regarding their quirk, it would be complete anarchy. I've been trying to convince the Hero Association to lighten up on their laws, but nothing's been working so far."

Curious scribbled on her notes. Okay, he may not be a perfect candidate for the army, but after some reconvincing on Trumpet's part, he would be a fine addition. "May I ask about your connection with Himiko Toga?" She asked, unable to help herself. The girl fascinated her, and she's been dying to interview her. "I've been wanting to interview her myself for awhile."

"She's a part of my villain support group," Kuro said. "I host a support group for villains trying to turn over a new leaf. I would invite you to join, but maybe not as an interviewer."

"What do you mean by that?" Curious asked.

"Nevermind," Kuro said, waving his hand dismissively. "I will talk to her about your desire to interview her, but the choice is hers."

"Thank you," Curious said, poorly hiding her delight. Of course, Kuro wasn't going to say a word about this to Toga. The woman handed Kuro her business card, smiling brightly. "That is all I have. Thank you for letting me interview you."

Kuro smiled dryly as he lead the woman out. "It was my pleasure."

"Before I go," Curious turned to the man. "How may I contact you again? I would love to have another interview."

Kuro's dry smile morphed into a slight smirk. "Trust me," Kuro held his hand up to his face, making the Meta Liberation Army sign, but instead of using his index finger, he used his middle finger, expressing his feelings with such a gesture. "There's no need. I'll contact you."