Alastor sat on his bed at home, staring at his hand. If you had looked in on him at this moment, you would think he found something interesting in his hand, but his mind was everywhere but here. Ideas and sketches were flying through his head like a paper factory in a tornado.
'This deal changes so many things.'
And it should have been so obvious to Alastor, the deal with Charlie. No soul required but a mutually beneficial agreement, even if it was more rigged to Alastor, it was still the same. He should have realized this then. Deals were more complicated than he realized. Were there deals that shared power? What would happen if he made a deal like that with somebody like All Might? Or Endeavor? Would he gain the fires the number two hero would use?
It was safe to say Alastor's mind was a mess of plans and ideas. So it wasn't really his fault when he had to get dressed using tendrils of shadow while he stuffed his face with toast, while Inko was at the door encouraging him out like an F1 coach as he was late to school. Now that wouldn't have been so bad if there wasent a horde of reporters blocking the front gate.
Now, Alastor was used to being interviewed; he even liked some reporters. But that's the thing, he likes being interviewed. Not ignoring the moment he says he is general education. And that's how he found himself shoving his way past adults with cameras as they edged closer to the open gates of UA.
"Whos grabbing my tail! Shove off, you fangaled wielding fiend!"
It was also safe to say that Alastor was not happy with being ignored. But if the reporters had noticed that anytime that strange red and green-haired boy was in shot, the camera would cut out. That would have been a intresting story.
Class 1D
"You're late their Midoriya."
Snipe acknowledged as Midoriya walked in.
"Sorry, sir, there were reporters outside the gates asking for All Might."
Midoriya responded with a grin and a shrug that could say, "What can you do?"
"Fair enough, those vultures can try and get all the carrion they can."
Midoriya nodded in thanks and put it out of his mind. Sitting next to Shinso and pulling out his materials.
It wasn't until lunch that the nagging thought in the back of Alastor's head seemed to have a reason.
BRINGGGG!!! BRINGGG!!!! BRINGGG!!!
The alarm started at lunch while Alastor was trying to get Shinso to respond to him or use his quirk on him.
The sudden chaos and struggle to get out of the cafeteria was at least something to say.
Annoying
Alastor grunted as he was shoved up against the windows, and he resisted the urge of his teeth sharpening.
'This is starting to piss me off-'
Alastor froze as he saw the cause: the reporters had stormed the grounds of UA. But the gate had been disintegrated. The deal with Mei came in handy as flashes of the reporters with varying mutations or holding cameras or Mics. No sign of any disintegration.
'This feels like a distraction.'
'Panic forces idiots to flee, but flee where? The easiest path. Where does that lead?'
Alastor started forcing his way through the crowd,
'The only rooms in this wing are the teachers' lounge… Why would somebody want to be in their?'
Alastor began forcing people out of his way, and some blonde started shouting about 1B disrespect.
It was like walking into diffrent room. Suddenly, he was no longer crowded by people and was in empty hallways. Alastor did not run; he rarely did, even while fighting.
But he strode haveing figured out what was happening.
'Its a hiest, a poorly done one, but one nonetheless.'
It took only a moment, but he found what he was looking for. The teachers' lounge door was still swaying as if somebody had hastily rushed in.
Even the shadows seemed to lengthen as Alastor's grin widened as he looked down on the door, his smile glowing as his eyes spun.
Opening the door, Alastor let the shadows that had pooled into his hand extend into his radio staff (Not his hell one yet) and let it click against the ground at the same time he flicked the lights on.
The lights revealed a scraggly man with light blue hair and black cloths with what appeared to be a severed hand on his face; his red eyes were wide in confusion as they stared at Alastor.
'The schedule'
"Well, you don't look like a teacher."
Alastor purred as he took a step into the room.
"Who the hell are you, brat? Some random encounter?"
The intruder spat as he clutched a single piece of paper to his chest, as he stood up straight, or as straight as his hunched posture could get.
"I wouldn't say random, your half-baked plot to get people away from here was average at best."
"Average!?"
The man snarled, and Alastor strolled in slowly, circling the man.
"Of course! Shoddy performance anyhow, that display on the gate? Pathetic."
"Are you insulting me?!"
"He can bearly understands basic speech… guess he isint the actual boss."
"I AM MY OWN BOSS!!"
The intruder roared, and Alastor paused.
"Anger issues, too, like I was saying before. None of the reporters has anything near a disintegration quirk, and from how you're holding the paper with four fingers, it's a five-point touch activation."
The intruder took a menacing step forward, and Alastor blinked,
"Oh, right, hero school. Guess I should capture you."
They both moved at the same time. Alastor raised his staff, and the shadows turned liquid and extended into spikes while the intruder lunged, one hand holding a paper and the other exteded twoards Alastor. Then, in the blink of an eye, a mass of purple smoke appeared, and the intruder disappeared as the shadow spikes dispersed after a moment, leaving a small scrap of a corpse to fall gently to the floor.
Alastor leaned over it and smirked
'Tommorow? Wonder if those idiots actually have a plan.'
Turning, he glanced at the camera, knowing he wouldn't be seen. He placed the scrap of paper on the desk and made his way out, closing the door behind him.
——
The Next Day.
As expected, none of the hero teachers were actually in their classes. From the tidbits Alastor heard, all of the general course teachers and even the support course teachers all had subs. Someone said that the hero course was going on a field trip to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, or USJ for short.
So it wasn't much of a surprise when, with sudden flashing of red lights and crashing of steel, an alarm blared.
*Intruders Alert! All Students remain in your classes and converse quietly! The Teachers have this handaled!*
Steel walls fell from the ceiling, covering the door and windows, sending the room into darkness for only a moment until the lights kicked on. And that's when the screaming started.
Alastor rubbed his eyes in frustration as the other general course students started yelling about how they were gonna die.
'If anything, they are gonna lead the villains to us with all their noise…'
But Alastor realized that they were kids and running high on emotions and hormones. Instead, he turned and glanced at Shinso, and to his surprise, was actually looking back at him.
"You're not freaking out."
"Neither are you."
"I am sleeping i have an excuse."
"That won't hold up in court."
"Only if they catch me."
Alastor grinned and leaned his head on his hand, propped up on his desk.
"So the sleeping beast finally speaks again. You admitted to wanting my help, but then went silent."
"Ive been training…"
"Training what?"
"…"
They both stared at eachother for a moment, then Alastor sighed and began clicking his claws against the table in rhythm to an old tune. (Hear my voice)
"You want to get into the hero course, but haven't actually been training for anything? What about the after-school stuff?"
"None of the others want me to use my quirk on them…"
Alastor swung his arms out and waved off the blaring alarms and grinned.
"Well, you picked the right partner. I know plenty of people, and I can help you be powerful. All it takes is a little negotiating."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Alastor looked at Shinos for a moment; all he saw in the boy was a conviction, that was all it was. No dedication to actually make his dream come true. But there was something there, desperation.
"Lets not talk here, we can talk after school."
"Fine…"
School had been suspended for the rest of the week, Class 1A had been attacked, and Shinso seemed annoyed for the wrong reasons.
"Now those loud-mouth hero course kids are going to be even more unbearable…"
Alastor sat on his chair on the beach as Shinso did pushups. It seemed that it had not occurred to the kid that the students could have been harmed or worse in case of the girls.
And now he had stopped doing pushups, this kid's lack of dedication was starting to piss Alastor off.
"Will you stop whining and keep hitting the ground? You're acting like a child because some students are getting more attion then you, big deal. Shut up and get back to work."
Alastor spat as he continued writing on his notepad.
"Oh yeah? And what would you know about working out? You look like youve sat on a couch in front of a TV all your life."
Shinso spat back and seemed to ignore the suddenly sharp teeth of Alastor. Alastor quietly set his pencil and pad; he placed them off to the side in the sand and stood up.
"What do I know about working? About dedicating myself to something? I'll show you. Get up."
Alastor shrugged his vest off and rolled up his sleeves even though he knew he wasn't going to get it dirty.
"What? Why?"
"Cause your being a bitch and acting like a well-worn pussy, get up."
Shinso turned a few different shades, then angrily got up and dusted his hands off.
"What the hell did you just say?"
"Oh? Is the emo-haired mop losing his hearing? Getting those ears of yours used like glory holes?"
Alastor spat at him just as Shinso actually got re and his hands balled.
"What the hell does this have to do with helping me get into the hero course?"
"Cause your a pansy! You have conviction but no dedication! You want so much but put no effort into getting it!"
Every word was accompanied by a sharp jab from Alastor's finger against Shinsos chest wich actually hurt because of the claws.
Shinso snarled and slapped his hand away.
"Yeah! I already know that! What would you know!"
Alastor snarled and grabbed a fistful of Shinso's collar. He then turned and threw Shinso into the water a good forty feet out; he even skipped once.
With a loud splash, Shinso resurfaced red with anger and went to use his quirk.
"What do you see, dipshit!"
Alastor called out, hands to his sides.
"Its a beach! I ain't blind!"
Shinso yelled back, making his way back to shore.
"Look closer, dumbass! What did this place look like before?"
Alastor growled.
Shinso stopped and paddled in the water as he searched his memories.
"Wasn't this that trash beach?"
"Yes! Finally, he says something useful!"
Alastor stalked back and forth across the shore, waiting for Shinso to make his way back, to throw him back in again, or help him up, he would decide while he talked.
"Who do you think cleaned it?"
"If this is some bullshit about doing service as a hero-"
"It was me, dumbass."
Shinso paused in the water, about waist-deep and thoroughly confused.
"You cleaned it up?"
"Yes, with my own two hands, blood, sweat. I don't cry like a baby."
"Why the hell would you do that?"
Alastor rolled his eyes again.
"Because I have something I need to do, and I can't fail the people I promised it to. I need to become a hero."
Shinso finally trudged back onto the shore and slumped onto the sand. And Alastor sighed.
"Shinso Hitoshi,"
It was more demanding than what Shinso had heard from the boy. And he looked up.
"Why do you hate yourself?"
The question was a stark contrast to the heated argument they had been having before. And Shinso looked down at his wet hair dripping water down his face as he tasted salt.
It was a long momunt and the sun had begun to set when Shinso finally responded.
"…because I am not enough… because I was born like this with this villain's quirk."
Shinso's voice began to crack as he admitted the truth.
"I hate how i cant commit to doing anything! I watch myself get motivated to help my dreams come true, but then I have to watch myself just stop because its to hard!"
Shinso was yelling as he pounded the sand.
"Why do I have to be this way!"
Alastor watched quietly as Shinso aggressively wiped tears away, and Alastor made his decision.
"I can help you."
Shinso froze and slowly looked up at the boy, whom he couldn't figure out. The boy who had claimed his quirk was worse than his, the boy who had somehow been put into General Studies despite his obvious strength.
And he looked malevolent.
"Shinso, I can help you with all those things. I can make you dedicated, I can make you strong, I can make you powerful."
Alastor's arm extended, and his hand clenched as whisps of green something trailed from his hand before sucking back into his hand.
"In return…"
Alastor trailed off as he looked at the boy in front of him. Alastor himself was years older than this child. But Izuku? This was to be his comrade in arms against the forces of villainy.
He should be treated as such.
"I only ask for your help, to be ready for when I am in need of your power."
Shinso stared at the open claws. He felt like he was on a ledge. He had placed himself on a ledge of strength that he had climbed. But he looked at Izuku. And he towered like a mountain. He wondered if he could ever be like that mountain, but he would settle for a spire for now.
Two hands clasped, and an exchange took place.
Neither knew the importance of this deal, for war and death were on the horizon far from here. But this deal would change that war drastically.