I'm The True Hero

Chapter 22: In Two Weeks

Izuku continued to look over the note several times. The date is two weeks from now and the location is somewhere he never heard of. He looks around once more and slipped the note into his pocket.

"It's not cool to take things that doesn't belong to you."

Izuku was startled by the sudden voice and looked at the end of the dark hallway. A dark figure stepped closer, becoming clearer – it was Shigaraki emerging from the shadows. Izuku stood stiff.

"Are you going to return it?" Shigaraki asked.

Izuku slowly reached into his pocket and held the note out. Shigaraki extended his arm to take the note but instead attempted to grab Izuku's arm. Out of reflex, Izuku pulled his arm away from Shigaraki and pushed his arm away from him.

Shigaraki chuckled from the sudden behavior and was slightly amused. "I see Toga has taught you well. I expect that from you, who just killed his friend."

Izuku didn't respond immediately but eventually whispered. "Seeing someone?"

"That is none of your concerns."

"Wouldn't it be since we have the same motive?" Izuku asked.

"Our motives were never the same."

"What do you mean? We both want to take down the pro heroes," Izuku said.

"No, I want to take down the pro heroes. You want to get revenge on the people you once trusted and two of them just happens to be pro heroes."

Izuku stood frozen in the exact position he was. He never told him his parents were pro heroes. Only that he was neglected by his parents and he clearly knew about Izumi. He also never told him who his parents are. How does he know? I haven't told anyone.

Chills crept down his spine as he watched Shigaraki's mouth curl slowly into a smile of satisfaction. Izuku tried to keep his face the same – neutral, unreadable -- but how could you when you realize the person standing in front of you knows more than you thought.

Shigaraki's smile gave him the intimidating amusement. "The silence I hear in this hallway can give more information than the words that comes out of our mouths. Moving in silence can be beneficial, but is that really the best option?"

Shigaraki takes a step towards Izuku as he continued to smirk. "You're still a broken child who only breathes for revenge on those you once trusted. People who contain that type of revenge makes them more predictable than they realize. And predictable people . . ."

Shigaraki grabs the note from Izuku's hand slowly and moved his mouth close to his ear. "Break. First."

Shigaraki backs away from Izuku and gave him a small smile. "Besides, we are partners after all. It's only right that I know something about your background and the information you already have." He shrugs his shoulders as if what he just said was the most normal thing. "Trust is the foundation of a good partnership, isn't it?"

Izuku remained silent for a moment before he cleared his throat and proceeded to speak. "Doesn't a good partnership also mean communication?"

The smirk Shigaraki had started to falter, but it still withheld. "Yes. Indeed, it does. How else would they stay on the same track?"

"If that's the case then shouldn't I've been a part of the planning for the USJ?"

"Even if you were a part of the planning, you would've joined at the end," Shigaraki replied cooly. "Everything was pretty much finalized before you arrived."

Izuku crossed his arms across his chest with the note still held in Shigaraki's vision. "Wouldn't hurt to tell me about the nomu."

Shigaraki stared at Izuku with a hint of annoyance because they are questions regarding to his authority. "Snooping around?" he asked in a low tone.