Memories were a strange thing to Tomura Shigaraki.

He had a few distinct ones.

The moment he met his master, his first kill that allowed him to control his quirk, relishing in his hatred for heroes, and meeting you.

Before you, before any of that, he remembered feeling like there was a piece of him that was missing.

For the first few years of his life, he would experience flashes of memories that didn't feel like they wholly belonged to him.

He wasn't sure why that was. The voices he heard in his head sounded familiar, the one coming from his body sounded like his voice. There was a sense of guilt that came from remembering those days, remembering that time where the itching never stopped.

The itching, while problematic, liked to be picky about when it showed itself.

It often was relieved after a kill, but tonight, as he towered over you—it chose to put a halt in showing itself.

"We're nothing alike." You grunted, whipping your head to the side so he could touch you no longer.

Tomura laughed at the, finding amusement in the defiant look in your odd eyes.

"You truly don't think so?" He asked with a hum, following the sound with a low chuckle. "When I look at you, I see the shell of a girl aspiring to be a hero." For some reason, these words caused you to look at his spine-chilling face.

"But in reality, you're nothing like this persona you play. The real you is that little girl sitting in a cradle position deep inside you." He shook his head slowly. "That's how we're alike, Y/n. We don't choose to let those versions of out to come out and play—the take over us by force."

"You make no sense." You spat.

He chuckled. "No conviction, no sense, no pride, no strength." He hummed, losing your understanding once more.

Shigaraki sat there laughing, his hands planted to the walls on either side of your head. With a quick flicker of your eyes, you noticed the way he kept a single finger off the brick behind you.

You took in a deep, ragged breath, desperately hoping it was quiet enough to calm yourself and not gain his attention.

Thankful for your quick range of motion, you summoned your quirk to your leg and swept his legs out from under him.

As he pummeled against the ground you immediately bent back and relished the feeling of your hands hitting the concrete to aid your body in flipping back and away from the man child.

"You bitch." He coughed out.

"Who are you working for?" You demanded as you reached into your pocket and held your phone behind you, sending your location and information on the villain you faced to multiple people in your contacts.

You hoped your father would contact an officer or hero stationed in Hosu, if your grandfather couldn't make it in time.

"What makes you think I don't run my own organization?" He asked with a chuckle, swaying as he stood once more.

Stall. "You mean to tell me that you gathered all of these creatures into this city by yourself and still had time to do a background check on me to feed your obsession?" You let out a faked laugh.

Please,
Someone, anyone.

Shigaraki was clearly irritated by that. "Don't act like I'm crazy girl, you can't tell me that you're not curious about this connection as well." He gritted and you felt your breath hitch in your throat.

You let out a dismissive sound, clicking your tongue together as you took a subtle step back—trying to gage if it would be better to wait for a hero or run while you still could.

You knew this guy was dangerous. He had broken in to your seemingly impenetrable school. On the other hand, he had been standing in this alley with you for multiple minutes and had yet to make a move to kill you.

You didn't even think he wanted too.

It felt like some double edged sword.

"If you don't tell me right now why I know you, then I'll just take you back with me." He began walking towards you, quicker than before.

You took a step back, consciously thinking about each step of your foot so you wouldn't stumble.

"I can't even see your damn face. How the hell am I supposed to know who you are?" You replied, averting your eyes and seeing the fire lighting the city. You were nearing the entrance of the alley.

"You want to see my face?" He asked, reaching up and allowing his fingers to lightly graze the hand clutching to his face.

"Aizawa-San."

You hadn't even sensed his presence, the stealth of the boy could have challenged yours.

You turned and saw Todoroki with furrowed brows, staring down the man who had attacked you and your class at the USJ.

"Todoroki." Your voice was breathless as you saw the classmate you loathed the most here to help you.

"Midoriya sent out a location, I'm assuming that means he's in danger." His soft-spoken voice informed you as he assessed the situation you were in. "I saw you as I was running, I'm glad I did."

You nodded. "Thanks." When you sent out a message earlier, Todoroki wasn't one of the people you contacted. You felt really lucky in that moment that he was so perceptive.

"This doesn't involve you." Shigaraki spoke up, tired of the whispering between you and Todoroki. "She's mine!" He yelled, the anger consuming him was almost visible.

"Stand back." Todoroki warned, pulling his arm close to him before pushing it forward and shooting a mass of ice at Shigaraki.

You blinked, in awe of the way that he had frozen your villain in place.

"Stop!" Shigaraki screamed as Todoroki grabbed you by the wrist and pulled you out of the alley. "She's mine dammit!"

You stumbled as the two of you ran, his stride was much longer than yours.

"Thank you." You looked up at him, watching the way his two-toned hair swayed back and forth as he moved. "It was hard to get backup when everyone else is, you know, saving the word." You spoke with a chuckle.

Todoroki didn't even look back at you. "Right." He nodded curtly. "We can discuss it more later."

You rolled your eyes at his response, you didn't intend to discuss anything with him later.

"He should be down this way." Todoroki directed with a curt of his head, glancing down at his phone to check the location.

A cry of terror that sounded uncomfortably like Izuku's determined that he was correct about the location.

With another step the two of you were shown the horrible truth.

"Step back."

You watched as the man you assumed was the Hero Killer stalked towards your classmates. Izuku was screaming as the villain took his drawn sword and pointed it to Iida's head.

Todoroki sent out a large blast of his power, sending the killer flying backwards.

"Midoriya." The cold boy called out to your friend. "Learn to write more specific directions, we were almost too late."

You didn't even take time to be surprised in the fact that he included you in his statement. You ran to Izuku, squatting down next to him.

"But how-"

"How? That's my line." He hummed as he sent another attack towards the Hero Killer. "It took me a few seconds to decode that group message you sent out to everyone with nothing but your location. A message so meaningless just didn't seem like your style, so I knew you were in trouble."

You watched as Todoroki fended off the villain, wanting to help, but knowing that you were more useful standing guard of your friends who were pinned to the ground for whatever reason.

"I found Aizawa-San in her own altercation." Todoroki added with a hum, making you feel a bit embarrassed that you couldn't stay out of trouble for the few minutes you and Izuku were separated. "With Shigaraki."

Izuku's eyes shot up and stared and you with a horrified expression written across his face.

"She already sent word to some pros, and I told my old man to bring backup to this location. We'll be safe soon enough."

"Todoroki don't let him draw blood!" Izuku yelled as he noticed the way that the Hero Killer stood stronger against the two toned boy's attacks. "Pretty sure he paralyzes his opponents by ingesting blood! That's how he got us."

Your mind ran with that. If you could get by Todoroki's attacks unscathed, you could travel the walls and get the Hero Killer from behind.

You would need your weapons, maybe a swift kick to the head and then capturing him in your scarf would do.

"Izuku." You whispered to the boy who's eyes were glued to the fight ahead of him, itching to be apart of it. You watched as the Hero Killer hurled a knife in Todoroki's direction, before charging him to ingest his blood.

"The best thing about me, is that no one ever sees me." You spoke with a gentle smile, watching the way the boy blinked in confusion.

"Why?" You heard Iida groan before you could explain your plan. "All of you, just stop it." The way his breathing hitched, you could tell he was crying.

"I've inherited my brothers name." He cried. "I have to do this. He's mine to-"

"You inherited your brothers name? That's weird."

Todoroki began spewing nonsense about the dark sides of both families, encouraging Iida in his own way.

But that didn't matter to your or Midoriya. You were both stunned by the way his arms could
move again.

"A time limit." You whispered.

Izuku was slow to move. "I'll charge in." He whispered as his eyes adverted towards the fight before you three. "And you make yourself disappear." He spoke with a small wink, reaching to grab your hand and squeeze it gently.

You nodded curtly, taking to the ground as you crawled towards the side of the building, getting the ground work to activate your quirk and join the fight from above.

You saw the way the Hero Killer leaped from a balcony, his long sword out and ready to make the kill. Stop him. You begged internally, trusting your companion to make the leap at the right time.

The flicker of green that took to the sky reminded you that everyone would be okay. Because you weren't useless, you weren't weak.

Sometimes you got scared, showed your weaknesses, but you would overcome that. You had people by your side who trusted in you and believed that you would aid them in getting out of there alive.

You wouldn't let them down.

You positioned yourself in the air, watching as your classmates stood before the killer. Todoroki had lost to much blood, and Midoriya was still learning to use his body and his quirk properly during a fight.

Knowing that there was a time limit to this guy's quirk would help, but you all still needed to avoid being cut at all cost.

Reaching into your pocket you grabbed your stars, the sharpness of the edge was so slick that it put the Hero Killer's blades to shame.

This was were you excelled, from the shadows, just like your father.

With an immediate flick of your wrist you released the ninja stars, not waiting to watch as they made contact with the villain.

You immediately leapt to the other side of the alley, clutching to the roof of the building as you watched the Hero Killer aimlessly search in the direction your stars came from.

Your classmates utilized this distraction.

Izuku charged him once more and Todoroki sent out another massive gust of flames.

"If you want to stop this then stand up!" You heard Todoroki's screams, watching as Izuku fell once more and Iida gripped the ground.

Todoroki was the only one who remained standing on the ground, still dripping blood as the Hero Killer loomed above him with his crazed expression.

You were wrong.

You weren't meant to hide in the shadows.

Attack from behind and watch from the shadows as everyone else put themselves in danger.

That was cowardly.

The whole reason you became friends with Izuku in the first place is because he gave you the courage to truly become a hero. To learn to strengthen your resolve.

You leaped from the building, no longer allowing yourself to hide or be surprised by your actions.

You raised your leg, thanking yourself for choosing to train in gymnastics when you did—allowing your body to reach its maximum flexibility.

You channeled the strange part of your quirk you never understood to your leg and slammed it down so it collided with the Hero Killer.

"Y/n!" Izuku cried out, if he was thankful or fearful you couldn't tell.

"Don't touch them!" You screamed, flipping back quickly and arming yourself with two more stars as you stood in a stance you had practiced with your father and grandfather a million times over.

The Hero Killer stared at you, recognizing you instantly. He had only seen you once, of course, in that photograph back in the bar.

He hadn't been bothered much by you when the man child had spoken about you. He remembered the way he said that you confused him and that all his conviction stemmed from figuring you out and killing the Hero Killer's idol.

Facing you he understood a bit more why the boy had found you so confusing.

"Where did you come from?" The Hero Killer asked with a sort of chuckle, the irony of finding you here all to amusing. "Have you been here the whole time?"

"Yes." You growled out. "Leave my friends alone. Your days of killing are over." Your voice was so steady, you had never felt more sure of anything in your whole life.

"You aren't supposed to be here." The Hero Killer hummed, stalking towards you with his hunched over posture, "There's someone else in the city who is desperate to meet you."

Even though you knew exactly who he was talking about, you refused to allow his words to reach you.

There was also no time to gloat in the way that he blinked in confusion when you were no longer in front of him.

Moving with your trademark swiftness, you were now behind and above him, sending out another star as you released your scarf and slapped it against his wrist, capturing him enough to tug him towards you.

You released your quirk and ducked under the sword he swung towards you, raising your fist and channeling all your strength into it as your punch cracked against his face.

"Never forget who you want to become!" Todoroki was shouting. It was directed towards Iida—urging the boy to get on his feet, but you knew that each and every one of you needed to hear that.

Iida needed it to remember the hero he admired and wanted to become.

Izuku needed it as a reminder that he was stronger than he ever was, but it was okay to rely on his companions.

Todoroki needed it, as a reminder that he could use his quirk to It's fullest without becoming his father.

And you needed it, so you would finally believe that you could become a hero. So you would no longer be weighed down by the shackles of your past—so you could float above all that and be an equal amongst your friends.

"I like you girl." The Hero Killer grinned as he slammed you into a wall. "I can see why he does too." Your entire body slammed against the brick, sending shatters into your body and the wall.

Having you off his back momentarily, the Hero Killer returned to torment Todoroki, who was no longer delivering any speeches.

"Ice and fire." You heard the Hero Killer through the ringing of your head. "Hasn't anyone ever told you that relying on your quirk makes you sloppy?"

You were amazed that you could still move, the Hero Killer had never brought a blade to you. He was so concerned with getting rid of Todoroki's flames that he immobilized you only momentarily.

"You should be more like that little girl over there." The Hero Killer chuckled, but the laughter was cut short when he saw that Iida was standing tall once more.

His quirk and his kick was such a beautiful circle and put your own power to shame.

"Iida!" Izuku cried out happily.

"This has nothing to do with any of you...I'm so sorry." Iida's eyes were covered by the length of his hair and Izuku sighed, feeling as if the progress the three of you had made was for nothing.

"That's why I swear I won't let any of you lose anymore blood!"

"There's no use pretending, a persons true nature is not so easily changed."

In some ways you supposed, the Hero Killer was right. But heroes weren't supposed to do things the easy way. Both you and Iida that night had changed your inner selves.

You had found your confidence and resolve.

And Iida was reminded of what he was fighting for in the first place, reminded of his morals.

The two of you changed that tonight.

"You're a fake who prioritized his own selfish desires!" The Hero Killer yelled. "A cancer on this society warped by heroes. Someone needs to correct the system."

Todoroki was warning Iida not to listen to the guy, of course Iida quickly retaliated.

But for some reason, the words leaving the hero killer reminded you of that spite you felt when you first wanted to become a hero.

A part of you was almost remembering something from so long ago. Someone screaming about the warped society we lived in, how untrustworthy heroes were.

Those days were so few back then, most of your life you were surrounded by heroes, but those days—they do exist.

Why...why are you being reminded of them now?