Mayura's heart slammed against her chest. Her brain was going a million miles an hour.

This man in front of her couldn't possibly be . . ..

"Anti?"

He laughed maniacally and took a step closer, his eyes glowing and his body crackling with electricity, "Hhehehehe . . . It's been a while. . . . Gotta say, I love the look on your face Jackieboy"

Jackie shuddered but took a step back, gently pulling Mayura with him, "N-no . . . No, it's not you. It's not . . . My brother . . my brother's dead! How fucking dare you try and pretend to be him, you sick fuck!"

"And a sick fuck's what I am, bro!" he laughed mockingly mimicking Chase's voice . . . but how would he know what his voice sounds like?

Anti giggled and clicked his tongue "But I'm not here to discuss family matters" he glared at Mayura, "I'm here on business"

Jackie instantly moved instinctively to stand in front of Mayura, "I don't know if you're really him . . but you won't lay a hand on her. Stay away!"

Mayura wished she could move but really, she was still frozen. She could still see when they were kids and Anti was crushed under all the rocks, his body battered and broken. Blood everywhere.

It couldn't be him, could it?

No, this had to be some kind of imposter.

But nonetheless, she couldn't just let Jackie protect her like some helpless civilian!

She pushed Jackie out of her way, ignoring his grunt of protest.

Mayura didn't like this one bit, but she couldn't just stand by idly.

"Whoever you are . . . . you're with the league of villains, right? What are those bastards HERE for?"

Anti snickered but seemed impressed by her, not that she gave a damn. He gave a crooked smile, "Look at you all tough and outspoken . . . . But I could tell you, why not? Doesn't make a difference. We'll get what we came for either way." he looked her up and down.

Jackie wanted to just straight up attack him but held off, knowing what Mayura was doing was the right move. Get the enemy talking. Maybe if they could get him talking enough, he'd either slip up or maybe help would arrive by the time he was done blabbing.

"You see . . . the league . . is after recruites. And we believe we found two lovely specimen that could prove useful HERE. We saw the one at the sports festival-"

"Bakugou?" Mayura spat out but suddenly chuckled lightly, even though she was anything BUT calm right now, "Bakugou only wants to become the word's number one hero. You'd be wasting your time with him!"

"Maybe" Anti's gaze stayed locked with her, "However . . . . I had my own suggestion for the league. And I do believe that once you see what we have to offer, you'll be begging to stay, Mayura Shimizu"

Jackie scoffed, "Oh really!? May!? Are you serious!? You're out of your mind if you really think she'd ever even consider-"

Suddenly this man glitched and had a knife to Jackie's throat in a millisecond.

They all went quiet but that was all the confirmation Mayura needed.

'It really is him . . . . he glitched'

But the look in his eyes. The deranged and crazy look in his eyes. A look that said he was ready to kill . . . HAS killed before.

There was only one thing she could think of to do.

"NO, WAIT!" She took hold of Anti's arm, tears in her eyes, "Anti . . . Anti, please don't . . ."

Jackie was at his own brother's mercy but Anti's knife was so close to his throat, that a bead of blood was already dripping down the blade but it wasn't life threatening in the slightest. Just scary. Which was exactly what he wanted.

"M-May, don't-"

"Anti please" she ignored Jackie. She had to do this for him or else she just knew by the look in his eyes . . .Anti WOULD kill him, "I'll go with you, okay? Just please don't hurt him"

There was a slight anger in the man's eyes but he still smirked, "Good . . . . Looks like my mission is complete, then . . " he chuckled at the look in Jackie's eyes, "Until we meet again . . . hero"

In an instant, Anti glitched with Mayura still gripping his arm.

Jackie was left in the middle of the dark forest by himself, thousands of thought running through his head.

His friends and brothers were in danger, his brother was alive but was a villain, he took May AND the league might get Bakugou as well and no one knew where their hide-out was.

This was a big problem.

And for some reason, Jackie couldn't shake off the feeling that maybe this was all his fault.

'Anti . . . . what did they do to you?'

Mayura felt groggy and she thought she passed out.

No. She was definitely sure she passed out.

She hadn't even opened her eyes yet and she could already tell she was contained somehow.

But she kept her eyes shut still, just in case so she might hear some information around her.

"And you're sure it's even worth it?" The voice was unfamiliar but cold and sinister.

"She doesn't look all that special to me!" a girl pouted.

"What's her quirk, at least?" another man asked mildly.

"Light"

'That's Anti's voice. . or least I think it is. He's so . . unfamiliar now'

Somebody scoffed on the side, another male voice, "You serious? Light? Baby, I got all the light you want right here!" she heard flames of some sort light up but the man with the cold voice hushed him.

"Shut up, Dabi . . . . where the hell were you anyway during the fight? Heard you didn't even do hardly anything"

"Hey, man, I kept most of the teacher's at bay. That Eraserhead was a bitch to distract, right Two-face?"

"Oh no! YES! What a bitch!" he sounded both sure and unsure at the same time.

"Whatever. Anti . . go on. We got young Bakugou, here . . just why did we need THIS girl?"

The girl didn't let him speak, "I can hear her heart pumping that delicious blood. She's awake, Shigaraki"

"Oh really? Perhaps she could tell us herself, then"

She knew then that the jig was up and she opened her eyes, looking around.

Anti was the closest one to her but he didn't look how she remembered. He seemed so . . . cold, himself.

The man, Shigaraki looked not that much older than her and Bakugou. But he was pale and his face was dry and scratchy. The girl looked like she just got out of a school in that outfit. And crazy. The mild-mannered man was a lizard person and Dabi damn near looked like a scarecrow with all the scars and stitches he had. He ALMOST looked like Anti but with black hair and all those burns.

They were in some sort of abandoned bar with a shadow man behind the bar cleaning shot glasses. Apparently he didn't talk much.

She looked to her side to see Bakugou even more restrained than her with tape over his mouth and his arms and hands heavily contained so he couldn't attack. Not that he didn't look like he was trying even right now. She made eye contact with him but she knew the only thing on his mind was kicking their asses.

"Mayura" Anti's voice snapped her attention back to him, "Why don't YOU tell them, hm? Your quirk?"

She didn't know why they'd want her quirk. She never let anyone know what it could really . . . do.

Then she realized. If they were brain-washing Anti, then he could have told them what happened to her parents. What her quirk did.

She decided to play along for now, though, anyway to gain time. It wouldn't be long before the pro heroes showed up. Or least she hoped they'd show up soon.

"I . . . my . .m-my quirk . . is light"

"Yes, and?" Shigaraki snuffed, "So you're a glorified flashlight, is that it?"

Bakugou cringed. He didn't like that this shriveled raisin was insulting her with the same thing HE had said to her before. He struggled again on his binds but the man just sneered at him.

"Easy now, dog, you'll get your chance to talk, too"

Mayura ignored the man and just stared at Anti who just stared back but his features were so . . . . void. Expressionless and just so . . . empty. It was like he didn't even know her. Not really. But it HAD been a while. Maybe she could get through to him.

Dabi was getting impatient and stomped up to her, and gripped her cheeks in his hand, "Fucking talk already. We don't have all night, glow-stick" he winked and his fingers sizzled slightly on her face.

Only . . . she just glared at him and he was surprised to see that his burns had no affect on her. There wasn't even a mark on her face.

Anti smirked then, "She can conjure light on her body and project it. She can cause burns or even blind someone with it"

Dabi scoffed, "Doesn't mean I can't go hotter" he winked at her, though, "Bet she'd like that, though, wouldn't she?"

Anti's eye twitched but he seemed to calm when Dabi backed off.

Shigaraki sighed deeply and scratched his face, "So she's got some use, after all . . . what makes you think she'll join us?"

"Wait, what?!" she didn't expect that. She could understand them thinking that maybe Bakugou would join them but HER?!

"Listen, Mayura" Anti stepped towards her again suddenly, "Let me explain. Maybe then you'll come around, hm?"

She didn't want to join them . . but she did want to learn more. And this was a time killer.

"Fine .. I'm listening"

Bakugou seemed to be struggling again but was ignored.

Anti smiled almost delightfully and motioned to Shigaraki who nodded in return, "Well you see, Mayura . . . .remember that day I supposedly died?"

That was like a slap in the face.

She breathed in sharply, "How could I forget? You died in front of me . . you shoved me out of the way to take the damage instead . . you saved me like a true hero would"

He cringed but continued, "Anyway . . . There's a man that saved me, you see . . . the same man that took Shigaraki under his wing . . . . he took me to a doctor who . . revived me, so to speak. Healed me up good as new!"

"And what? Now you're his bitch?" an angry side of her was starting to show. She couldn't help it. How could Anti had just switched sides so easily?

Anti shuddered and closed his fists tightly, shaking, "No . . . . I'm a team member. A valued member of the league. And you can be, too." he leaned in closer to her, "Mayura, aren't you curious? You could put your quirk to so much better use with us than being a pathetic hero"

"It wasn't so long ago when YOU wanted to be a hero" she fired back at him, "What happened to that person? The person I promised to be a hero with even if I didn't want to be one myself? You made me believe I could be so much more than I thought I ever could, Anti. What happened to you?"

"WHAT HAPPENED TO ME!? I GREW THE FUCK UP!" He snapped, snarling in her face but he quickly changed his mood and smiled so charmingly, "Mayura . . . . It's your fault your parents died"

Her heart could have stopped right there, "Wh . .what did you just say?"

"What? It's not a secret. Your quirk killed them because you couldn't control it when you first got it. Blew up the whole house and yard . . . Eraserheard was actually the one to stop you, did you know that?"

She hadn't. Where was he getting this information.

"They're hiding so much from you, Mayura. They know what you can do but even they are keeping you at arms length because they're afraid of your power. They don't want you to discover what you could really do with it. They're just waiting for you to fail"

She felt frozen. She couldn't look anywhere else but his eyes. Stuck in her head with these thoughts, she didn't know what to think.

Anti smiled, "But you can be so much more here with us, Mayura . . . didn't you miss me?"

She blinked and stared at him again, tears running down her cheeks already, "I .. . of course I did . . . . . . Anti . . . . you were my best friend"

He just laughed, "If you join us . . . we could rekindle that. We could be partners. You don't fit in at UA, anyway. You're not MEANT to be a hero, lass"

She flinched, "But . . . but I . . . your brothers . . . they were so upset and sad when you . . . I was, too . . . why didn't you tell us? Why didn't you come back to us? Did I mean anything to you?"

Anti's eye twitched. It had before but at the time, Mayura just thought he was getting angry but now she was thinking it was something else.

Was it a part of him fighting? She recognized the blank look in his eyes to be some sort of brainwashing. She saw it before at the sports festival when Shinso had brainwashed Midoriya. Maybe she could get through to Anti. Make him snap out of it somehow. She could only hope.

Anti snorted and chuckled, "Did you mean anything to me? Lass, what do you think this is? We were children. Childhood friends. We didn't really KNOW each other. My own brothers didn't know me and neither did you"

"How dare you" she seethed at him and even Bakugou stilled, having never seen her mad like this before.

"Hm?"

Tears streamed down her face, "I said . . . HOW DARE YOU! YOU SON OF A BITCH! I BLAMED MYSELF FOR YOUR DEATH, DO YOU KNOW THAT?! EVERY SINGLE FUCKING DAY, I WENT TO THAT SCHOOL AND TALKED TO YOU WHERE YOU DIED! I WENT TO UA FOR YOU, TO BE A HERO FOR THE BOTH OF US BECAUSE THAT'S ALL YOU EVER TALKED ABOUT!"

The others snickered in the room at Anti but he wasn't paying attention to them, "I grew up . . and so should-"

"DON'T EVEN FUCKING SAY IT! YOU SAY I DIDN'T KNOW YOU! I KNOW YOU BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE EVER COULD!" She couldn't stop crying but she wouldn't stop yelling at him, either.

"YOUR HERO NAME WAS GOING TO BE LIGHTNING MAN! YOU LOVED TO SHOCK JACKIE WITH YOUR QUIRK! YOUR FAVORITE HERO WAS HOUND DOG BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT HE WAS JUST AS MISUNDERSTOOD AS YOU! YOUR FAVORITE COLOR IS GREEN! YOUR FAVORITE FOOD IS ANYTHING FRIED IN TEMPURA! YOU NEVER GOT ALONG WITH ANYONE ELSE!"

"YEAH BECAUSE NO ONE EVER GAVE ME THE CHANCE!"

"I DID!" she screamed at him, tears streaked down her face, dry and new, making her cheeks red, "I did . . . . Anti . . . "

He rolled his eyes with a snarl but suddenly snickered with an amused smile, "You're so pathetic . . .. People change, Mayura"

" . . . . . Maybe"

He blinked but his eye twitched again.

"Okay, Anti . . . . . Okay"

"Okay?" he questioned, sort of confused like everyone else there.

"Well you say I don't know you. Did you know anything about me, then? Do you remember me at all?"

"Well of course I do, Mayura" he suddenly got sickeningly sweet and brushed his fingers over her face, to wipe away her tears, "Mayura . . . Perhaps we just need to rebuild our relationship . . . . get to know each other again? What do you think? Hm? Come with me . . . and we could be friends again . .. come back right where we left off . . . what do you say?"

She blinked at him, "I just have one question for you, Anti . . .just one question and that'll tell me if you're really in there or not. MY Anti"

He snorted but took a step away again with his arms crossed, "Fine then . . .shoot"

"Who am I?"

.

.

.

.

.

"What?"

Shigaraki groaned, "Oh for fucks sake, this is getting old. At first it was amusing but now it's just ridiculous. Let's wrap this up, shall we?"

But Anti just cocked his head to the side, seemingly very confused, "You're Mayura Shimizu"

She shook her head at him, "What did YOU call me?"

He felt like this was a test and he was failing and he didn't like to fail. His frustration was getting to him.

"M-may? I called you May"

"Wrong again"

He blinked, not knowing what to think.

Dabi rolled his eyes at him, "Dude she's just fucking with you. Buying time. Now let's just move on to the wild brat shall we? This bitch is a lost cause, dumbass"

Anti glitched and his knife was suddenly stuck in the wall centimeters away from Dabi's head.

But Dabi just snickered, "What? You upset, man, I called your childhood best friend a bitch? She IS a bitch, you know. Stalling for time. Just messing with your head and-"

"Flicker" Mayura finally spoke softly and Anti's eye twitched.

"You called me Flicker . . . because you said that'd be my hero name"

.

.

.

.

"I'm still stuck on the part where you said she killed her parents with her quirk!" Toga laughed, "Seriously? This cutie pie?! I think you picked up the wrong girl, Anti!"

Anti blinked but sighed heavily, shrugging, "Maybe I did"

Dabi ripped off the tape from Bakugou's mouth but for once, the explosive guy had nothing to say, still surprised by this whole thing AND Mayura's past friendship with this freak.

Mayura blanked out while they were trying to get Bakugou on their side but she knew he wouldn't anyway.

No way.

But she just stared at Anti, not wavering her gaze, her anger growing and growing.

'What will they do to me if I don't accept? Kill me? Would he really let that happen?'

She knew the brainwashed part of him would. But she could see the real him behind those blank eyes. They were controlling him somehow and she had to figure out how to get through to him.

She knew it was risky.

She never wanted it to happen again but maybe this time . . .

Maybe this time she didn't have a choice.

She couldn't let him out of her sight again. Not this time. Not again.

'I can fix this' she thought, 'Anti . . . I can get through to you . . I just know it. I just have to through out the right line.'

She didn't even notice when they let Bakugou go but his voice snapped her out of it, "HEY EXTRA!" His hands exploded the restraints on her and she was free thanks to Bakugou.

The blonde jerk snapped at her, "You assholes really think I'd stoop to your level? I'm aiming to be top hero. Number one just like All-Might and I won't let you piss-ants take that from me! You can't change my mind because that's not who I am! You grabbed the wrong people from UA, assholes!" his hands started to spark.

'He's right' Mayura's hands started to glow, ready for a fight, her eyes locked on Dabi and Toga.

Until there was a sudden knock on the door.

"Pizza Delivery!"

huh?

Suddenly the door bust down and All-Might walked inside, "DO NOT FEAR!"

He wasn't really smiling now like usual, though, "Because I am here"

Mayura stared back at Anti. She couldn't let him escape. That wasn't an option but she was afraid All-Might would be too concerned for her and Bakugou and not care about one villain he had never met before.

He along with some other pro heroes that had broke in explained that the building was surrounded. They had them. Did they not know about Anti's quirk, though?

However, out of nowhere, a black goo started to surround the villains and Bakugou.

'What the hell?'

Before she could even think, Anti rushed at her and glitched.

When she opened her eyes, she looked around and nearly vomited.

She shoved him off of her and slapped him across the face.

"SERIOUSLY?! HOW FUCKING DARE YOU BRING ME HERE! HOW DARE YOU!"

Anti didn't look thrown off at all though and just huffed, "I THOUGHT . . .we could carry on our conversation here, May."

"What conversation? About you being brainwashed and you wanting me to join your little cult?"

He snickered, "No . ... . no . . . I just want you to join me, May. Your talents are-"

"Wasted at UA . .. Yeah . . . well guess what? You're being wasted with THEM. They're just using you for YOUR quirk to get what they want so they can HURT people. I know that deep inside, the real you isn't like that, Anti! Just snap out of it, already!"

"SHUT UP!" He twitched and blinked, his eyes concerned.

"May . . . I don't wanna lose you . . . if you don't join us, they'll kill you"

This was the real Anti. She knew it, she could see it. The real emotion in his eyes.

But just as it came, it disappeared again, "But if you don't wanna come back with me, then I'll be glad to take care of this loose end myself"

"Anti . . . I know you're in there. . . . They got their claws in you so deep. Don't you see it?"

She figured that maybe somebody in that building before had been keeping him in check. The hold on his mind was starting to break. Or so she thought, at least.

"Yeah and I'm about to have my knife buried DEEP in your HEART" he laughed.

"Anti . . . . we miss you"

He froze again but she continued.

"I've missed you . . .so much. I forgive you, you know . . so please . .please don't make me do this"

He grinned, "Do what? What you gonna do? Brighten my day with your cute little flashlight hands?"

"No . . . . "

'Anti . . . why did you bring us here? To where the school used to be? You HAVE to be in there. A part of you has to remember what we had. I have to believe that. I know it'

Anti knew something was coming and he glared at her, squinting his eyes suspiciously.

She tears up again but this time suddenly, her eyes started to glow, 'Anti . .. I do this for you. You can save me, I know it. . . you save me . . . and-'

"I'll save YOU, Anti"

He glitched and laughed at her, "Save ME!? HA! I don't need saving! Idiot! I-"

Then her body started to glow and white flames surrounded her. It had been a long time since she let this much power breach from her.

Anti recognized that, at least and froze as her light grew brighter and brighter and the flames started to whirl around her like a small tornado.

Her nose started to bleed and tears sizzled out from her eyes but her determination overcame all her pain. For him.

"I'll save you, Anti! I'll be your hero! I promise! All you have to do . . . is remember the way things used to be! Please! Remember! I know this isn't you and deep inside, you know it, too. . . only you can help yourself . . . and me"

'This is the plan . . I know you can save me, Anti. . . I know you can stop me from losing control again . . . I'm counting on it . . . my friend'

___________________________________

The League of Villains

Shigaraki. Quirk: Decay. Using all five of his fingers, he will decay any part of anyone he touches. All for One's disciple and the leader of the League of Villains.

Dabi. Quirk: Cremation. His flames are so hot, it'll turn anyone or anything to ash.

Toga. Quirk: Transform. She can transform into anyone she wants and have their quirk as well but she can only do so by consuming their blood.

Spinner. Quirk: Gecko. He can do anything a Gecko can.

Twice. Quirk: Can make as many duplicates of himself as he wants. Is bipolar and is only whole or 'himself' as long as he wears his mask.

Kurogiri. Quirk: Warp Gate. He's a black mass and like a black hole, can suck up anything through himself and transport them anywhere he wants.

Mr. Compress. Quirk: Compress. He can "compress" anything in a spherical area into a small marble. If used on a person, it effectively entraps them without harming them at all.

All for One: Quirk: All for One. Can steal anyone else's quirks and/or give them to anyone else he desires but mostly keeps most of them for himself. He is the main villain in the story.