Chapter 25: Proof of Change

"Papa!" Eri bounded over to Kuro, looking up at him with expectant and pleading eyes. "Do you know where Izumi-kun is?"

Kuro thought back to his past. "Hmm, I think Kota-kun might need some time right now," He said, patting the girl's head. "He's a little mad right now."

"Why is he mad?" Eri asked, tilting her head.

"Kota-kun doesn't like heroes," Kuro explained. "His parents were heroes and they left Kota-kun."

Eri wasn't unfamiliar with concept of death, so she nodded sadly. "Okay..." she hugged her adoptive father. "I hope he gets better…"

"Me too," Kuro smiled and hugged the little girl back.

-

Izuku walked up the mountain, following the small footprints up the trail. He saw Kota sitting on the mountain and walked over to him, placing a bowl of curry next to him. "I notice you didn't have any dinner."

"W-what are you doing here?" Kota jumped and looked at the boy skeptically. "How did you even find me?"

"I followed your footprints," Izuku said.

"Leave me alone," Kota scoffed and looked away.

"Your parents were the Water Horses weren't they?" Izuku asked, looking off into the distance. Kota flinched at the mentioning of his parents.

"How do you know that?" Kota demanded. "Mandalay must have told you."

"I heard about the story when it happened," Izuku said, not turning his head to look at the boy. "I'm really sorry for your loss."

"I don't need your stupid pity!" Kota shouted. "All you heroes and villains only use your quirks for violence!"

"Not too long ago," Izuku sighed, feeling for the boy. "There was a quirkless boy. Everyone told him he was quirkless, even the doctor. The boy never believed them, though, and rejected the reality that he was quirkless. By the time he came to reality with the fact, it had hurt even more. If you keep on rejecting reality, you will only succeed in hurting yourself. You cannot beat a river into submission."

"Leave!" Kota demanded, seemingly not listening to a word of Izuku's story. "I don't want to hear any more of your stupid words!"

Izuku looked at the boy and offered a small smile before leaving.

-

Kuro found his way up the mountain half an hour later, seeing Kota sitting next to an empty boy. "Fancy seeing you here," he said, causing the boy to jump. "Eri's been looking for you."

"What do you want?" Kota asked, agitated. First that broccoli headed kid and now the number two hero. "Leave me alone."

"I like to come up here to think," Kuro replied simply. "It's a really calm place for someone to sort out their thoughts."

Kota relaxed a bit. Even if he was a stupid hero, he was there for the same reason as he was, and it wouldn't be fair to kick him out for doing the same thing he was. "Tsh," Kota scoffed before turning back to the forest.

"Being a hero isn't that fun, you know?" Kuro said to the boy, causing him to stiffen. "You constantly have to fight people and risk your life along with others to save the day."

"Why are you telling me about this?" Kota asked aggressively.

"I know you don't like heroes," Kuro said, giving the boy a small smile. "It's okay that you don't like heroes. I don't like them either. Heroes and villains took everything I had. My friends and family were taken from me as well."

Kota stiffened a bit more. His hatred for heroes and villains had blinded him to the fact that heroes and villains were people too. They all had to suffer as well. They all felt pain and sadness. "You know, Eri never knew her parents," he said, looking at Kota's shocked expression. "She was abducted by the yakuza. If I didn't step in, the yakuza would be enforcing all kinds of terrible and painful experiments on her, no one even knowing of her existence."

"Why are you telling me this?" Kota asked, more shocked than agitated this time.

"I'm not going to treat you like some kid, Kota-kun," Kuro said, looking at Kota with a serious expression. "You're old enough to think for yourself. Sure, society sucks. I'm not going to deny you that, but heroes exist for a reason. If your parents weren't there when they were, five kids your age will be suffering exactly like you are right now. Life isn't fair, Kota-kun. I know that fact all too well. Your parents may be gone, and I'm not gonna baby you about it. If you keep living in the past, you're never going to do shit with your life. You don't like society? Fine, but don't waste your life bitching about it and do something."

Kuro stood up and walked away, Kota staring in shock at the man. No one ever swore to Kota before. He had heard what those words mean when the Pussycats were arguing with each other, but no one swore to him. 'I'm not gonna baby you about it,' Kuro's words rang in Kota's head. Kuro was treating Kota like an adult, not some hurt child. He thought about what Kuro said. He was right. If he didn't like it, he should do something about it, even if it meant becoming the very thing you hated to change it in the inside, just like Kuro. Kota stood up, a while new outlook on life.

-

Shigaraki and Kurogiri stood with two other people and six Nomus that All for One hand lent him. He was thankful that most of his team were Nomus since none of them could be tardy. "Hey, let's go kill everyone now!" Muscular shouted.

"Since everyone's here," Shigaraki smirked, looking back at his team. "Let's go wreak some havoc."

-

Dabi and Shoto were eating soba that Dabi had snuck in. "So, how's school?" Dabi asked as he slurped on his food.

"It's alright," Shoto said, looking at his brother. He looked so… different when he was in his costume. "How's putting up with Kuro?"

"Not alright," Dabi groaned to himself. "Kuro's a real pain in the ass, but he gave me everything I have now, so I can't really complain."

Shoto was about to speak when Dabi jumped up and over Shoto and launched a stream of blue fire. A loud shriek was heard, causing Shoto to turn around. What he saw was a humanoid creature with an exposed brain.

Dabi touched a device in his ear. "Attention all squad members," Dabi said with alertness in his voice. "I have made combat with a Nomu. Preparing to engage."

-

When he heard the warning, he dashed straight for Kacchan. He had briefed him on everything that had to do with One for All. "Bakugo!" He shouted, landing next to him.

"What the fuck?-" Kacchan shouted, startled.

"The League is after you. They don't know about you having One for All, so keep it a secret," Kuro said. When Kacchan nodded, he continued. "They think they can turn you into a villain."

"Like hell they can!" Kacchan shouted.

"Good to hear," Kuro said, smirking. "I have a plan…"

-

Spinner was with Kendo, Ojiro, Kirishima, and Tetsutetsu talking about martial arts when a Nomu jumped out. Spinner unsheathed his swords and blocked the Nomu's blow, sending him flying back. "Listen up, kiddies!" He shouted as he dashed towards the Nomu. "This shit ain't a drill! If you don't think you can handle villains yet, run!"

"Like hell!" Kirishima yelled, activating his quirk and uppercutting the Nomu in the jaw. "RED RIOT UNBREAKABLE!"

Kendo jumped up, both gigantic mallets in hand and slammed the Nomu's head, spattering its brains.

"Yuck," Ojiro said as he looked at the splattered Nomu.

"Yuck indeed," Tetsutestu agreed, looking away from the mess.

-

Izuku, Ochaco, and Toga were taking a walk in the forest when a Nomu attacked. Izuku grabbed Ochaco and jumped back as Toga dodged the Nomu's punch. The Nomu breathed fire in Toga's direction, but she jumped up, dodging the fire. Toga landed on the Nomu's head, stabbing the creature's brain. With a roar, the Nomu fell over, dead.

"Villains!" Izuku shouted. He looked around before the realization hit him like a truck. "Kota!"

"Go!" Ochaco called to him. "Himi-chan and I can deal with things here!"

Izuku nodded and he dashed for the cliff where he last saw the boy.

-

Kota was about to leave when something crashed down behind him. He turned to see a maniacal villain with muscles bulging out of his body. "A kid? You look familiar," the villain said, his maniacal smile widening. "Oh! You look like those water weaklings! Man, their screams were amazing!"

Kota froze up. This was the villain that killed his parents. "Well, boy," the villain smiled as he dashed towards the boy. "Time to see mommy and daddy!"

As he was about to kill the boy, Izuku showed up and hit the man in the face, causing him to stumble backwards. "Oh?" He asked, looking at the young man with his sick and twisted smile. "What's this? A little hero come to save the day?"

"What are you doing?!" Kota demanded. "Leave now! Run away!"

"I'm not going to run," Izuku said, looking back at the boy. "I will save you."

-

Pixie-Bob and Tiger faced down a Nomu. She summoned a golem and sent for it to attack the beast while Tiger dashed for it. The Nomu punched Tiger, sending him flying at Pixie-Bob and then punched the ground, causing a pillar of stone to destroy the golem.

"W-what is that..?" Pixie-Bob asked to herself. When she asked that, the Nomu started to glow pink and flew off before being stabbed in the brain with a pocket knife.

"That was a Nomu," Magne said, revealing herself. "The squad have been trained to deal with these things. You two should focus on protecting the kids."

-

Kaminari and Mina were chatting it up at a campfire when a villain in a straight jacket appeared. They both jumped back in surprise when the villain's teeth extended into blades, intent on impaling them both.

Before that could happen, Kuro dashed forward, pulling the kids back. He jumped up to meet the villain, black electricity crackling on his arm. "Don't mind me," he said, punching the villain so hard that his head exploded. "I'm just here to fry a Moonfish."

-

A beaten and bloodied Izuku stood against Muscular, who had a significantly less scars than the boy. "Oi, oi, oi!" Muscular shouted. "Aren't you forgetting something?!"

Izuku realized too late. Muscular dashed for Kota, who was right behind Muscular at this point. "NO!" He shouted as he dashed, his hand reaching out for the boy. At that moment, a black tendril shot out of Izuku's hand, grabbing the boy. Without thinking, he yanked his arm back, causing the boy to fly into his arm. Izuku placed the boy down, the tendril receding back into his arm. Izuku reasoned he would ask Kuro about it later, but for now, he had a villain to take care of.

Pure rage washed over Izuku as he turned to the villain. This villain threatened Kota's life, and Izuku wasn't going to have any of it. "One for All," he muttered to himself as he dashed towards the villain with everything he had, punching him square in the face. He felt his bones shatter, but he needed to go further beyond. Plus Ultra. "1,000,000 percent!"

-

Izuku carried a sleeping Kota off the mountain when he saw it. Kurogiri had Kacchan grasped around one arm. "KACCHAN!" Izuku yelled as Kurogiri opened a portal. Kacchan looked over to Izuku and smirked.

"Shitty Deku!" He called back. "You better save me!"

The portal closed behind them as Izuku dashed forward, missing the portal by mere inches. He had failed. The league of villains succeeded in their mission of capturing Katuski Bakugo, but little did they know, kidnapping Kuro's successor was the biggest mistake they could ever make.