5 Chapter 5: Invitation

Present

Izuku's trembling feet reached the ledge of the high-rise, his mind awash in a torrent of memories and despair. After the crushing rejection he had faced, the world had spoken - it had deemed him unfit, unworthy, pathetic. As he stared down at the streets far below, a single, sorrowful thought flashed through his mind: this was the end of the line.

A maelstrom of dark thoughts consumed him. Hiroku Natsumu's scathing words and the condemning rebukes from the pro heroes echoed relentlessly, each one a brutal blow to his fragile sense of self-worth. In that moment, Izuku felt utterly alone, adrift in a sea of hopelessness with no lifeline in sight. The future he had so ardently dreamed of - of becoming a true hero, of making a difference, of proving his worth - had been snatched away, leaving him hollow and defeated.

"I'm nothing," he whispered brokenly, the realization settling over him like a suffocating shroud. "I'm just a pathetic, reckless child, unfit to even dream of being a hero."

His anguished cry rang out, a desperate attempt to have someone, anyone, hear his pain and acknowledge his plight. "WHY!? AM I AT FAULT JUST FOR BEING QUIRKLESS!? IS IT WRONG TO HAVE A DREAM!?"

The torrent of his anguished thoughts poured forth, a litany of the torment he had endured. "SINCE THEN, I WAS BULLIED AND MOCKED EVEN HARDER BY EVERYONE! THERE WERE STRANGERS SPRAYING ON OUR WALL TO MAKE FUN OF ME! MOM IS GETTING WORN DOWN BY THE STRESS!"

"Damn it! I CRUSE YOU ALL!!" Izuku broke down, his eyes brimming with tears, his teeth clenched as he finally gave voice to the anguish that had been tearing him apart. The world had turned its back on him, crushing his dreams, and now he saw no reason to go on. 

"How... unfortunate," a smooth, cultured voice purred from the shadows behind him, dripping with false sympathy. "To see such potential go to waste."

The sudden voice caught Izuku's attention. His heart raced as he turned to see a man in a skull-like gas mask standing before him. The angular tubes at the top of the mask seemed to pulsate with an eerie energy, and the outlines of the man's eye sockets glowed in the dim light. He towered over Izuku, his muscular frame emphasized by the dark suit and crisp white shirt he wore.

The man's voice was dark and somber, yet it held a persuasive power that stirred something deep within Izuku. "You can see how this world has pushed you to the brink," he said, his words like a knife twisting in Izuku's heart. 

"Is it a crime to be born without a quirk? Does it justify stripping someone of their dreams?" The man's words struck a chord within Izuku, causing him to question everything he had ever known about society.

"This kind of distorted world...isn't it utterly detestable?" The man's slimy tone only added to the weight of his words, causing Izuku to feel an overwhelming sense of despair and anger towards the society that had rejected him.

The man opened his arms, as he spoke to Midoriya. His voice was smooth and almost mocking, with a hint of sadistic pleasure. A faint smile played on his lips, sending a chill down Midoriya's spine. "I've been keeping an eye on you," he said, his eyes never leaving Midoriya's face. "Watching your struggles, your moments of despair and hopelessness. It's such a shame to see someone with so much potential waste it all."

Izuku's eyes widened in alarm, his mind racing to comprehend the identity of this unexpected intruder. "W-who are you? How do you know my name?"

The man chuckled softly, his gaze never leaving Izuku's face. "Ah, forgive me. Where are my manners? I am known as All For One, and I have a... proposition for you, young man."

He took a step closer, his movements fluid and graceful, like a predator stalking its prey."but answer my question first."

Izuku's voice trembled with raw emotion, his fiery passion turning into a seething rage. Tears streamed down his face as he railed against the oppressive society that had crushed his dreams and shattered his hopes. 

"Those so-called heroes are nothing but deceitful liars! I HATE THEM! I HATE THEM ALL!" his eyes filled with a menacing glint. The tears on his cheeks were like molten lava, fueled by the intense hatred burning within him. He was done playing by their rules, ready to unleash the darkness within him and tear down the corrupt system that had betrayed him. 

All For One raised his hand in a consoling gesture towards him.

"Such a poor child," he spoke softly. "Deceitful people can cause so much hurt and suffering."

He paused, looking at the person before him with empathy. "I can only imagine how much you've been through. No one has ever reached their hand out to help you, have they? Am I correct?" 

He continued, his voice low and urgent. The words hung in the air, heavy with a mix of desperation and hope. "If you are thinking of throwing your life away, why don't you come with me?" 

His eyes narrowed, a glint of something sinister flashing across his features. "What if I were to offer you a chance to transcend the limitations placed upon you by that broken, unjust society?"

His hand reached out, fingers curling as if to physically pull the person towards him. "You can be whatever you dream of," he said.

Izuku's brow furrowed in confusion, his mind reeling from the stranger's words. "Transcend the limitations? What are you saying?"

A smile spread across All For One's face, gleaming with a sense of victory as he met Midoriya's gaze. "I am here with you," he declared, his voice dripping with confidence and determination. "And I can give you the power to become a true hero - one who is not limited by the constraints of law and order that have betrayed you." His words hung in the air like a promise, tempting and dangerous all at once. 

He took another step closer, his presence towering over Izuku's slender frame. "All you have to do is say the word, and I will grant you the means to reshape this world in your own image. No more rules, no more prejudice. Just you, and the limitless potential that lies within."

Izuku gazed up at the mysterious figure, his thoughts in turmoil as he tried to make sense of the offer. A part of him yearned to accept it and hold onto the sliver of hope that All For One had sparked within him - a chance for revenge against those who had shunned him. But there was another voice in his head, whispering about morality and fairness.

The suffocating grip of his hopelessness consumed him, and as Izuku locked eyes with All For One, he battled against the alluring pull to abandon his moral code and surrender to the stranger's twisted proposition. The darkness within him clawed at his conscience, urging him to give in, but a flicker of determination kept him from succumbing completely. It was a vicious internal struggle, one that threatened to consume his very soul.

All For One's eyes glinted with evil intent as he leaned in closer to the trembling young man. His voice was like a serpent's hiss, laced with promises of power and control. "If it's value and purpose you seek, then bow down to me, my dear Izuku. I will rid you of this pain and give you everything your heart desires."

The villain's face twisted into a sinister smile, his eyes gleaming with malice. "This world has cruelly cast you aside, scoffing at your dreams as mere fantasies of a worthless, Quirkless child. But I see the raging fire that burns within you, waiting to be unleashed on those who have caused you harm." The air hung heavy with tension as each syllable dripping with venom and promise of revenge.

He extended a gloved hand, his fingers curling in a beckoning gesture. "Join me, Izuku, and together we will forge a new reality - one where the strong rise up and shape the future, unconstrained by the pathetic rules of a dying society."

Izuku's knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists, staring intensely into the stranger's eyes. Tempting him with promises of power and control. A single drop of sweat rolled down Izuku's face as he stood on the edge, torn between his values and the allure of darkness. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to find the strength to make his decision.

All For One's words had struck a chord deep within him, awakening a dark fury that had simmered beneath the surface. The unfairness of it all, the cruel rejection he had faced, it all rushed back to the forefront of his mind. 

Perhaps the stranger was right - what did he have left to lose? The world had deemed him unworthy, unfit to be a hero. And yet, the memory of All Might's promise, the hope he had kindled, still lingered, a flickering flame in the darkness.

With a shaky breath, Izuku stepped back from the ledge, his eyes narrowing with a newfound determination. He would not give up, not yet. If the world refused to accept him, then he would forge his own path, with or without their blessing. 

The choice, it seemed, was his to make.

All For One's words seeped into Izuku's mind like poison, corrupting his thoughts and twisting them into a reflection of his own malevolent desires. The corners of his lips curled up in a sickening grin as he spoke, beckoning Izuku with false concern. "Come, my child," he purred, his voice laced with malicious intent.

He took a calculated step back, his shadowy figure blending in dark. His deep voice echoes in the mind of Izuku, "The world has already abandoned you, what else do you have to lose?" With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a strange purple mist that formed into the shape of a man with glowing yellow eyes.

Izuku's heart raced as he watched his last hope walk away. With desperation, he ran towards All for one and grabbed his hand, stopping him in his tracks. "Can you truly help me?" he pleaded, his voice trembling with emotion. "Will you really stay by my side, even though I don't have a quirk?" 

All for One's sinister grin stretched under his skull helmet as he looked at Izuku. He clasped Izuku's hand with a gentle but firm grip and said, "Yes, let's go."

"Kurogiri, back to base," he commanded.