"I can't do this anymore, Tomura. I don't think I'll ever be like you all."

Tomura's bloodshot eyes twitched dangerously under the fingers of his mask-glove thing.

"Why do the things I forget come back to me?"

Izuku clenched his fists in frustration, his teeth gnawing down in anguish in the spotlight of a dangling lamp of a corner bar of the street, the glasses lined up in front of him glinting with the ghosts of his own emotions.

"Why do the things I choose to forget haunt me?"

Tomura stared at him, seemingly thinking up of a reply, a solution to Izuku's 'weakness'. He had known of his hesitstion, and of his flashbacks in the recent 'school test event thing'.

He wanted to give up on Izuku and his consistent whining and complaining, ever since he came to their bar every day for the past week, ranting to him. Sickening.

But Izuku was too much of an asset with far too much potential for him to give up. He would make a great villain for his mentor.

Tomura let out a sigh through his teeth. It was either going to ruin his plans or build him and secure it. It was a gamble and he had to take a chance. Tomura did not like to gamble.

As he contemplated rotating back and forth on a stool at the countertop with his weary head resting on a hand, Izuku stared downwards into his lap.

Maybe I'm just not cut out to be a hero. Even with Tomura's help, when it counts, I still hesitate.

On the fields of justice, if the villain was someone I knew, wouldn't that make me a liability?

Izuku mumbled under his breath, his brows furrowed in deep thought, face contorted in frustration. He could think of anything why but not how.

Why did I remember Kacchan at that point of time?

"Shut up."

"Sorry."

"Perhaps both of you need a drink to calm yourselves down."

Wisps of deep violet tendrils that made up hands floated 2 glasses of soda onto the countertop, the clinking signalling Kurogiri's existence in the bar.

"It may be beneficial for us if you include him in tomorrow's visit, provided he pulls through and makes a decision for our cause."

What visit? And what's their cause?

Izuku listened in as he sipped from his glass, the sparkling sweetness running through his mouth indeed calming him down. To form rational thoughts.

"Yeah but if he doesn't, Master will not be happy. And we might lose our chance to complete our objective."

Tomura fiddled with his glass, balancing it on the edge of its base, tilting its contents back and forth, watching the tiny bubbles come and go.

"He will have to face it eventually Tomura. And whatever decision he makes then will be the same as the one he makes tomorrow. And if he chooses otherwise, well, there's Nomu."

Kurogiri lingered at the countertop, polishing several glasses, his smokey facade revealing no emotion from his gleaming eyes.

Who's Nomu even?"Whatever then. Come here tomorrow in the morning before eleven. Bring your... Hero Gear and don't be late."

"But I have school tomorrow."

"That's exactly the point, Izuku."

A chill set into the dim bar as Tomura's eyes met his, an unsettling smile creeping into his eyes.