************************

FLASHBACK

Six years ago...
Midoriyas' house.

Christmas holidays had started that day and Deku was returning home after his last session of training at Dagobah. However, first he had taken some time at the shopping mall of Kashyyyk, since he would soon need a birthday present for one of his classmates.

It had been months of hard studying and training for everyone. However, as usual Uraraka also had to deal with her excesive saving habits and help her parents, and they hadn't had much free time together out of the school lately. It was good those days Mr and Mrs Uraraka would come to see her.

They had been best friends since day one, but he always felt like he never thanked her enough for the care and support she was always willing to give him. That was why he had decided to find her something nice for her birthday.

At that moment he was texting to his mother as he crossed the street full of snow.

Izuku: Hi Mom! Training with All Might is over for today. I'm on my way home. See you there!"

Mom: Izuku! I was about to call you! A friend of yours just came to see you! She's really cute and keeps blushing when we mention you🤗🤗🤗!! OH MY GOD IS THERE SOMETHING YOU HAVEN'T TOLD ME???

Deku was only a few feet away from the house, but when he read his mother's message he froze just where he was and read it three more times while his red steaming face and trembling limbs didn't make him lose balance.

Could it be he had forgotten something at UA and she had come home just to bring it back to him? Well, it didn't matter: the nicest girl he knew was waiting at the other side of his door and there he was with a blush that could melt all the snow around.

Deku sook his head and caught a deep breath before approaching to the door. He said to himself to take it easy. After all, he was sure his mother would be glad to meet his best friend in UA. There was no need to get all flustered, right?

"Mom! I arrived!" he happily announced as he crossed the door.

"Oh there he is!" he heard his mother's expectedly excited voice. " Welcome home, Izuku! We are in the living room!"

Deku blushed one more time and checked his pocket as he passed the corridor. What gave, since Uraraka was there she would receive her gift sooner than expected .

"Hi!" he cheerfully entered the living room, where Inko was smiling from the couch, and looked for his friend. "I wasn't expecting you! But I'm happy you are here...!"

He stopped when he felt a breath on the back of his neck. Their guest was just behind him...

"I know you weren't" the feeling of warmth on his body turned into cold sweat in a matter of seconds when he recognized that sinisterly cheerful female voice. "But I'm also happy to be here... Izuku."

Deku immediately turned and backed down a generous number of steps as his trained mind got ready to fight back. She was wearing an outfit consisting of a dark red wool sweater, a black and red plaid skirt, and long winter shocks that ended in a pair of dark brown boots for the snow; in fact, the matching red glasses and her now loose blonde hair, which missed her signature two buns, would make any person who hadn't seen Toga's vicious amber eyes and fanged smile before mistake her with a totally normal girl of her age.

"Surprise!" Toga said making a theatrical pose.

"Y... YOU!?!" Deku placed himself in front of his mother in a protective pose and tried to understand what was going on. "What...?!"

"Izuku, please! There's no need to be nervous" Inko totally ignored what kind of person she had let inside their house. "Sorry dear; as you can see, he's never brought a girl home."

"Oh, I'm sure about that" Toga teased as she sipped a cup of tea, keeping her eyes on Deku. "But we know each other well, don't we, Izuku?"

Deku didn't answer. Why would a member of the League of Villains would infiltrate herself in his house? Could it be they had discovered the truth about All Might and him?

"So, now he's here, I need to ask: are you that Uraraka girl he usually talks about?" Inko excitedly asked. "The girl who can make all the things float?"

Deku's eyes wide opened as soon when his mother innocently formulated that question, but Toga just bit her lower lip as she silently giggled. 

"I don't know. Tell me, Izuku: am I that girl?" once again there was that bright blush in her face one never knew how to interpret.

"No!" Deku cried. That was a really wicked question. "This is... Toga. And she's not from UA..."

"Oh but we move in the same circles" Toga smirked. "In fact, Ochako and I are also good friends. But not as good as you two are, right, Izuku?" 

"I'm so glad!" Inko clapped with a big smile. "I was worried he would only have time for studying and training, but he seems to have made so many friends since he entered UA."

"Hehe, this is true. He's earned some popularity out of the school too" Toga carried her hands to her face. "And yet he refuses to call me Himiko."

"Well, now I have to return to the kitchen" Inko got up from the couch, happy from her ignorance, as she addressed there. "I'll leave you two so you can talk. Come on, Izuku, don't be shy and go sit with your friend."

Toga blushed again and tapped the place next to her on the couch with her hand while her eyes shined in amusement and her fangs were showed. To Deku, if that was an invitation for him to sit there, she couldn't have done it worse.

"You... what are you doing here?" Deku knew he could handle her in a fight, but she also must know, so what was the big deal?

"I told you back at the entrance exam, don't you remember?" Toga widened her grin. "I want to get to know you better. And since we keep getting involved into fights, I decided to do it properly: I dressed like a normal girl and politely knocked your door. This time, no masks, no disguises, and no need to fight."

And no knives either? For some reason he wasn't buying that. When she came closer, Deku didn't waste a second and gave one step behind to keep the distance, but he showed no fear.

"My mother doesn't know who you are. Or who do you work for" Deku replied. "Whatever the reason you are here, she has nothing to do with it."

"Jeez, do you ever leave the hero stuff at school?" Toga sighed as she fluttered across the room like a dancer. "Your mother has actually been really nice, you know? Why should we ruin that?"

His mother, she said. If only the pure and caring Inko Midoriya knew in which situations had that girl and her dear son had met before...

"You are a villain who has tried to kill or hurt me or my friends before" Deku couldn't believe how shamelessly surreal Toga was trying to make that situation. It was his turn to take action. "I may not be a hero yet, but do you really believe I'm going to let you leave just like that?"

"I am one of the bad guys, dear. My lifestyle is based on taking risks" Toga reminded. "If you really want to arrest me, go for it. I also love it when we fight each other, but it would be a shame. Like I told you, I came in peace... and I'd rather Mama Midoriya didn't find out we are supposed to be enemies" she looked in the kitchen direction. "Such a lovable woman. No wonder, since she shares your blood..." that word always had a spine chilling effect in Toga's lips, an effect that made Deku's view on that scenario even worse. "What's the need on destroying the house and causing her a heartattack?"

"You want to know me?" Deku wouldn't be confortable using One For All to reduce a girl who wouldn't stand a chance in a clean fight, but it was his mother's safety they were talking about. "I've made some progress since the last time we met."

"That's great!" Toga jumped, visibly excited. "I have too! I can't wait for Ochako and you to see it!"

"You've had enough fun here. Let's go outside."

"Izuku... I don't know what to say..." Toga awed naughtly. "Ochako is my friend..."

"Mom!" whatever was on Toga's mind, Deku wouldn't let her provoke him. "We're leaving! I'm going to take Toga to the station!"

"It's been good to meet you, Mrs Midoriya!" Toga was going to have all the fun she could.

"My pleasure!" Inko answered from the kitchen. "Bring Uraraka anytime, if you want! She must be an adorable girl too!"

"Ohh, what a party would that be. The three of us together..." Toga was almost squealing. "Don't you think, Izuku?"

"Just keep walking" Deku muttered.

They got out of the house and walked some heavily snowed way to a place where they could face each other without risking others.

"By the way" Deku said. It was easy to forget it, but Toga was once a normal high school student for sure. He didn't know her past, but judging and sentencing people as pure evil was simply not  of his nature. "I'm really sorry for what happened to Twice last year. I don't fully know what happened, but I heard you were good friends. And villain or not, losing a friend is losing a friend."

He was walking a few steps behind Toga, when she slowly stopped. Deku couldn't help but be moved by others' sorrow, but he told himself to be ready for the worst.

"You are sorry..." Toga didn't turn, but her tone was so different she looked like another person. "Yeah, that sounds like what any hero would publically say... but you are too innocent for not meaning it, aren't you?"

"I'm not trying to fool you. Last year, we had to bury Sir Nighteye too. I spent very little time with him, but he was All Might's sidekick and Lemillion's mentor, and it was sad for everyone."

Toga didn't move, but Deku paid attention. She would be deadly fast with a knife she could easily be hiding under her coat.

"I know it was Ochako you were expecting" Toga said. She didn't sound flirterious this time. "You are really close because you two dream of becoming heroes. But Mr Stainy said heroes are not like All Might anymore, and they had become the problem of this society; and now Tomura says it all started with All Might."

"All Might is the man who defined the concept of hero for a whole generation" those affirmations about his idol and mentor weren't new for Deku and he wouldn't have them. "Even today he's a standard for anyone in the business."

"Really? Is he?" she turned. The wind wasn't blowing anymore and her ash blonde hair was falling over her eyes. For once, she wasn't smiling in his presence. "Did you know it was a hero who deliberately killed Twice?"

Deku didn't answer to that for the moment. As Hawks' protege, Tokoyami had told him in confidence of his experience during that battle. He was as shocked as he was back then.

"Twice had a tragic life, you know? And yet he was the best friend someone like me could afford in this world. All he wanted was somewhere to belong" Toga rarely talked about it and she was surprised to find herself sharing that, but she went on. "Like me. Like all of us. Oh, yes, we cause chaos and kill people, but we don't call ourselves heroes. People like Hawks do. And right now he must be somewhere near, exhibiting his cool wings and signing autographs, without paying for what he did. This hero society doesn't cry or care for people like Twice or me... and that's why I actually hate heroes..."

Toga removed her hair, revealing a pair of wild eyes full of fury. Deku knew the talk was not going to last much longer.

"I'm not trying to justify what other heroes may have done. And I can't blame you for hating heroes after that" Deku said. "But there are people I deeply care about and I wanted to say I would also feel terrible if something bad happened to my mother, All Might, Uraraka, Eri, Iida, Todoroki or any of them... and that I'm sorry you had to go through it."

Toga removed her fake glasses and kept posing her eyes on the UA student until Deku saw what he was waiting for: a knife sliding to her right hand from the inside of her coat's sleeve. From the distance Toga pointed him with the blade.

"I told you before why I came to see you. And nothing has changed" Toga stated. "It's your turn to talk. Tell me: why do you want to become a hero?"

"What does that matter to you?" Deku asked. "You said you hate heroes and don't have a problem with killing them. What makes Uraraka and me so special?"

"You are not heroes yet" Toga answered as she firmly wielded her weapon. They were like her: people trying to be someone else, someone they love; but at the end of the day they would be only good imitations, for the sake of a better world that maybe would never exist. And one day they would likely become a menace for her happiness. "Now answer the question, All Might's superfan."

Deku had always been certain about his motivations for becoming a hero. That been said, the answer might be a little more complex now, specially now the question came from a villain. Toga wouldn't move, so he had enough time to prepare his answer.

"I've admired All Might since I have memory. I saw him achieving victory after victory, always saving people with a smile. No matter how bad things were: the mention of All Might was already a sign of hope. And when he appeared, everyone, even me, felt safe and free to have the life they dreamed about" Deku told. "There will never be another All Might and that's a fact I don't try to defy as I progress. I want to become a hero on my own, someone people can always count on and believe in, and someone who is always ready to save and inspire people for the best... including villains, if that is possible"

Toga stood there, without changing her expression, but retaining all the answer. Her attraction towards that boy was more justified than she thought. Her grin finally returned.

"I see..." he was indeed fascinating. No wonder why Ochako dreamed of being like her crush. "As usual it's been so great spending time with you. Too bad I have to leave."

Deku started to activate his Quirk. If he could arrest one of Shigaraki's allies, that was the moment.

Toga introduced her left in her pocket, probably to take a second knife, Deku thought. But instead it was a colorfully wrapped small box, the same Deku had brought home, as he checked in shock when he tapped his own pocket.

"Let me guess" Toga blushed for the last time and her smiley face reminded of a playful kitty when she shook the present, wondering what would there be inside. "This is for Ochako, isn't it?"

"Give that back!"

Deku instinctively run and jump to catch it when she tossed it as far as she could. It took him less than five seconds to catch it and looked back, but it was enough for Toga to disappear.

"Stupid" he said to himself. "You let her escape. And what's worse, she could have attacked you because you let her distract you."

The thing was that she could have done it, but she didn't. And as upset as he was for what happened, the present for Uraraka was safe, which was a good new. Deku tried to calm himself as he returned home. He just hoped his mother didn't want to talk very much about it.

However, he should tell All Might about that incident as soon as possible... 

END OF THE FLASHBACK

************************

July 8th, 13:45.
UA (yeah, after the wedding).

Toga was breathing heavily as she looked from the ground to the young hero who had managed to immobilize her without a lot of effort. Her eyes looked like daggers, but the winged man didn't look intimidated. In fact, he looked kind of tired. He stood right there imprisoning her knife wielding hand with his left and the other hand with his boot, and wielding one of his long sharp feathers against her neck.

She had acted impulsively. Not as she usually did, but out of pure rage. She had waited years for a new opportunity to take her revenge on that man, but her knives wouldn't be enough against those thousands of sharp feathers. Toga should have listened to Shigaraki and let that one for Dabi, but Shigaraki must know the youngest member of the League was just like that.

"You'll never overcome it, will you?" Hawks asked narrowing his eyes, in a regretful tone.

"I will when I put you down for good" she thought, but she didn't answer. Why should she?

Hawks came closer and spoke lowly without losing his grip.

"I respected him. And I didn't think he deserved to die" he declared. "But that's how war works. I didn't invent it. He made his choice as a villain and I made mine as a hero. There isn't a day when I don't regret it, but I did what I did and I can't change it. Dammit, I believed in his redemption. All he had to do was to deliver himself!"

"Society threw him into the arms of the League. It was the only place where he wouldn't be considered a freak or a failure. Then you tried to make him betray all he had and killed him when he refused. When he was starting to have the good life he deserved... you took that away from him. And you took also a special person from me. After that, there is no redemption" her mind was screaming, but her greeted lips remained sealed.

Hawks sighed and started to get up and open his wings

"Take her away from here" he ordered. Some heroes whose face or names she didn't pay attention to grabbed her and put her handcuffs. She didn't resist. Shigaraki's plan continued working. "Now let's see if something can be saved from this mess..."

**************************

July 10th, 17:00.
Japanese military ship, habilitated cell.

"In one word, Toga... you were AMAZING! You've turned into a knife master!"

"Don't flatter her too much, yes? She could have gotten killed!"

"Oh excuse me, but if I recall correctly, she was trying to avenge us, remember? She deserves the credit and more!"

"We love you so much!"

"I know! But we don't want her to get hurt! She's the best girl in the world and deserves a better life. But in order to do that she must be more reasonable!"

"REASON IS OVERRATED! LET'S KILL ALL THE HEROES!"

"Would you mind us? This is a private conversation!"

"What do you mean "private"? I am Twice too!"

"I disagree! Toga must be happy, not tormented by revenge..."

"But whoa... for such a cool guy... Hawks was a nasty backstabber..."

"That's what I mean!" a fourth or fifth duplicate dressed in black and gray joined, for some reason wearing a blonde wig with two buns and a sword. Why not? What was the limit inside a crazy girl's imagination? "HELLO!! My name is Himiko Toga! You killed my friend Jin! PREPARE TO..."

"Guys, please..." Toga finally opened her eyes and spoke despite being alone inside the cell. "I really appreciate your support, but right now you're giving me a headache. Just leave me rest for a moment and then we'll think of a plan, right?"

Toga knew where the ship was heading. And she also knew Deku and the rest would have found a way there by then. 

Maybe she should plan nothing at all. Shigaraki was good for that, but she was always more of an improviser. And everything was just beginning.

End of chapter 28.

A bit short this time (at least to my taste) but you know I prefer to keep all the elements of the story in order.

What can I say, if heroes are only as good as the villains they face, then villains deserve development. Even if sometimes that takes a whole chapter!

I had some guilty fun writing this chapter, I must confess 😈😈... but as we know, villains of the MHA universe face their own drama. Honestly, I'm not sure of what to make of the character of Hawks after what happened to Twice...

Anyway, I wanted to have this chapter ready for the end of this week, since it was @TodorokiIsStraigh's birthday last week. Sorry, I'm a bit out of practice when it comes to presents, I hope this can do it 🙀🙀...

Don't forget to give your opinions and suggestions if you have any. Your feedback is really valuable. I'll try to make the story go faster (again!).

Hope you are having a good summer, inside the limits of this hard year. Most of my readers are probably on holiday, but don't worry Watties. In my situation, I have to spend a lot of time at home, so the story will follow its course. 

I hope all of the followers I haven't read or hear from for a while are doing OK! Don't have me worried, huh?

And if any of you wants me to write on a specific subject or make an art book, or suggest any idea for my profile, that will be more than welcome.

As usual, thanks for reading and supporting! A big hug from Honest Fiction!