~Time Skip, Sunday, 12:45 AM, Izuku's POV~

I unlocked the door to me and Shinso's apartment, Shoto following close after. I made sure to close the door behind us as I led him to the kitchen. He sat down at the table giving me a look. "Tea?" I questioned, already getting a pot ready for myself. "Sure." He responded. I nodded, getting everything set up. I noticed Shoto giving the pot nervous looks every once in a while and that he shifted seats a little further away from it. "Problem?" I questioned. "Childhood trauma." He responded bluntly. "A teapot?" I questioned, giving him a look. "Boiling water in general." He stated, subconsciously brushing the burn around his left eye with his hand. "Ah. Sorry. Should be done soon enough." I said. So the great Number 1 Pro Hero has issues with boiling water? I'll have to take note of that. I thought. The thought also came to tell Shinso about it, but I dismissed it immediately. Yeah no. That's one weakness I'm keeping to myself. I thought. "So, what was that about earlier?" Shoto questioned. "Ah. That." I trailed off. I can't believe I broke down in front of him. Great. Just great Phantom. You really screwed that one over. I scolded myself. "Well....When I was a child, I, like everyone else, wanted to be a hero growing up. I looked up to All Might, and how he stood up bravely against any evil. How he saved people with a fearless smile. I wanted to be like that. Saving people with a smile." I started. The teapot started to whistle quietly as I continued talking. "But, because of my Quirk, and because I had to keep it a secret. I was always told that I couldn't be a hero. That it was never going to happen." I continued, griping onto the counter and leaning on it slightly. The teapot's whistling grew progressively louder. My eyes were covered by a shadow as I smirked slightly. "For years, constant verbal abuse. Sometimes even physical abuse. I felt trapped, like I couldn't escape. "You can't be a hero", "S*itty Deku, just give up already", "A Quirkless liar like you? Ha!"...." I trailed off. I lifted a hand to pull at my hair a little. "There's only so much someone can take before they snap. Which is why it's a good thing villains never caught wind of my Quirk. As said earlier, lord knows, had I gotten the offer to join a group of villains as a kid I probably would have taken it. Just to get revenge. All because, I simply was told, that becoming a hero was a stupid dream for someone like me. That I should be more realistic." I growled. The teapot's whistling was getting extremely loud now. "Only so much someone can take." I muttered quietly. I snatched the pot off the stove and poured the tea, turning off the stove. "Eventually I did snap. And my Quirk activated in front of Kacchan. Once he saw my red eyes and knew I wasn't lying about having a Quirk the bullying just stopped. Of course, I was still outcast. Having no actual friends. Eventually we went our separate ways. He went to U.A. I was transferred out of schools completely and home schooled. Somehow my mom and dad finding out about all the bullying and not wanting it to happen again. Well, home schooled is a strong word. I took classes online." I explained. I placed a cup of tea in front of Shoto and sat across from him with my tea. "After graduating with above average scores I moved here to Yongen-Jaya. I work a lot of part time jobs around here, doing small tasks for people I know and getting payed for it. Every once in a while I'll still pay tribute to my younger self. Whenever a store gets robbed by someone I'll jump in and stop them. Especially if I happen to know the owner of the store. I double time it then. Because a trick to keep in mind here in Yongen-Jaya and other cities and towns just a quick train ride away, if you have the chance to have a shop owner in debt to you, take it. It's a good thing to have people owing you favors around here. And trust me, I stock pile the s*it out of these favors." I explained. I then sighed a little, taking a sip of my tea before staring at my reflection in the cup. "When you told me that you thought I'd make a good hero, I guess I....had a break down. Because for the longest time, that's all I've ever wanted someone to say to me." I said. "I...I had no idea. I'm sorry." Shoto apologized. I shot him a small smile. 

"Don't apologize. In fact, let me thank you. Not even my own mother and father said that to me. You're the first. And I'm seriously thankful. Because that means at least someone believes in me." I said. I then sighed a little. "But I really don't think it's possible now a days. Maybe if I had been told that when I was younger it would have made a difference. But a hero? Now? Heh. It's a funny joke I guess." I said. I'm too far in this rabbit hole to crawl out now. I started this bulls*it and I'm d*mn well going to finish it. I thought, griping my tea cup tightly. "Your self confidence is s*it isn't it?" Shoto questioned. I sweat dropped. "That's one way to put it. Yeah. I guess that's why whenever I activate my Quirk I feel so...great." I closed my eyes slightly with a smile, thinking of every single time I was Phantom. "Whenever I activate my Quirk, I'm slipping on a mask. And I can become a different person. My dad told me one of the drawbacks of the Quirk was slight shifts in personality while in use. I don't consider it a drawback. I consider it a gift. Because my other self, my other mask. Well...the other me is confident. Strong. Not afraid to speak his mind. And if someone dared to challenge him he won't stand for it. I wear two masks. The one you see right now. And the one that you saw in the alleyway. Just like my dad. He has two masks as well. Akira, my father. And Joker, my teacher. And well...call me depressed but I prefer my other self more than the one you see now. And I hope, that no matter the situation, I never have to take off my other mask in front of someone." I said. Mostly because that would mean someone would find out that I'm Phantom. I thought while sweat dropping slightly. "Another mask huh?" Shoto questioned. I jumped slightly, having forgotten he was there. "Oh! Uh. Sorry guess I was ranting huh?" I questioned with a small blush. "So there are two different yous? Is this something like Split Personality Disorder? Should I be worried?" Shoto questioned. "What! No! It's nothing as serious as that." I said. He chuckled. "I was joking." He said. I sighed a little. He sipped on his tea humming in satisfaction. The door slammed open shattering the small quiet moment as Shinso stormed into the kitchen. He ignored us and went straight for the coffee machine. He got down a coffee cup and poured a full cup before sipping it slowly. He turned around and faced us, finally acknowledging our presence. "Just here for my midday cup of coffee. Carry on." He said. "You drink it black?" Shoto questioned while sweat dropping. "Mama didn't raise no b*tch pussy." Shinso said. I sweat dropped. "He always says that. Ignore him. He becomes a sassy coffee mom at times." I deadpanned. "B*tch like you're any better you drink it high up on sugar and nothing else." Shinso said. "See what I mean?" I questioned, jabbing a thumb at him. Shinso sipped on his coffee a little more. "Hey at least I'm not going to sit in the corner sipping tea like an a*shole like this one." Shinso pointed out, ruffling my hair. "I do not sip tea like an a*shole." I said shooting him a look. "Don't lie. You have that rule for a reason." Shinso said. "I'm not lying. And do you want to die?" I questioned. "What about your no killing people rule?" Shinso questioned. "You're the roommate, you get the not so special privileges." I growled, standing up. "Oh someone is fired up today. First the challenge, now this? You trying to impress your little boyfriend over there?" Shinso said. *THUNK* All eyes focused on the knife now lodged in the wall behind Shinso, my eyes blood red. Shinso himself sighed, slowly sipping his coffee again. "I'll take that as my que to f*ck off." He said. Shoto stared in shock. "Does that happen often?" He questioned, a little bit of fear in his voice. "Part of Izuku's Quirk can be trigged by emotions such as anger. Sharp reflexes and proficiency with items is one of them. Typically he'll either hold a knife to up in a threatening manor or chuck a pencil at me like a dart. He doesn't throw knives unless he's really p*ssed. So once again. That's my que to f*ck off." Shinso said. He then left the apartment and I sighed a little. 

"Sorry you had to see that. As said earlier, the other me doesn't take s*it from anyone." I said. Shoto sighed a little. "Believe me. I've seen worse." He said. I smirked a little. "Kacchan?" I questioned. "Isn't it always?" Shoto countered. We both laughed a little at the small joke and the relaxing quiet moment settled back in. "So Izuku, about earlier, you mentioned...physical abuse?" Shoto said in a questioning tone. I hummed a little, tilting my head to the side. I then sighed a little, taking a sip from my tea before setting it down. "Mostly it was Bakugo." I said staring at my reflection again. My hand drifted over my arm a little. "He...I feel that he felt threatened by my constant will to never give up on that dream. He probably found it annoying. For the longest time, Kacchan saw me as nothing but a pebble on the side of the road. Kacchan grew up under serious expectation and gained a superiority complex because of people's constant praise and support. He looked up to All Might as well. And being honest. I looked up to him. So I tried hard to stick to him. Because I wanted to be confident like him. But well...." I trailed off. I constantly avoided Shoto's gaze as I was talking. Not feeling like I could meet his eyes. "It was when we were four when him and his gang started attacking me." I finally added. I took a breath calming myself down. "At first, it wasn't that bad. A few scraps. Couple bruises. Nothing that left a scar. But it only progressively got worse as time marched on. As Kacchan grew and his Quirk got more powerful." I explained. I folded my hands on my lap and sighed a little finally looking up to meet Shoto's gaze. "I have a few burn scars from Kacchan's Quirk. Not many, but enough. Granted, I probably would have come out with less scars had I just got a handle on my habits and be more subtle in my attempts to study heroes. And maybe if I didn't hang out with Kacchan as much. But I was a very stubborn and determined kid. It carried over into adulthood, obviously." I chuckled a little. "But eventually I had finally had enough. I stood in front of a kid, trying to protect him from Kacchan's bullying. Kacchan charged at me with his classic right hook. He always opens with those, never switched his style once I tell you. But when he did, my Quirk kicked in. I had always been suppressing it so my reflexes didn't kick in when this happened. Once again, family secret. But....well this time all I was thinking about was protecting someone else. My eyes turned red, and I nearly landed a punch on Kacchan. He dodged last second but stood frozen as I glared at him. I can still remember it vividly because I'll honestly have nightmares about this moment. Because...it could have gone so differently. Kacchan left after that. But what if he hadn't? What if he got mad and hit me twice as hard after calling his buddies in too? It may not seem like there are many scenarios but my dreams always come up with something. But one thing I for certain remember about that day, was the adrenaline rush, and the fear I felt. After Kacchan left I felt like I had finally gotten a victory. But after that people started ignoring me." I explained. I sighed a little, tracing my finger along the edge of my tea cup. "We've made up now a days and are pretty close. Almost having a bit of a brother relationship. Hell, he even apologized for being such an a*s as a kid and personally walked me to the Yongen-Jaya station. But even now we don't talk much. Maybe that's because Bakugo doesn't really know how to approach me anymore. As a kid I was shy and soft spoken, but easily excited when heroes were brought up. You bring up All Might at all around a younger me and you might even get an entire rant. But now, as an adult, I'm a lot more mature. And I even teased Kacchan in a playful manor. I've changed, and I think it might scare him how much he doesn't know about me now." I finished up and drank the rest of my tea. I set the cup in the sink before sitting back down. 

"Does Bakugo know what your Quirk is?" Shoto questioned after a moment of silence. I shook my head. "For as close as we are he has no clue." I said. I looked over at the clock and read the time. "Two PM. You might want to be heading back soon before it gets too dark." I said. Shoto shook his head slightly. "I have time. And besides, Bakugo is a little....annoying at times. His skills are impressive, even I'll admit that. But his personality is...." "Explosive. Pun intended." I finished for him. Shoto laughed a little. "Yeah. That." He agreed. He hummed a little to himself before shooting me a look. "Hey, how do you pickpocket like that?" He questioned. "What do you-oh right! The challenge. Keep forgetting you were there for that." I muttered. I sweatdropped a little. "Being honest I just honed the skill over the years. Its a simple skill to learn. But hard to master." I explained. "Why'd you learn?" Shoto questioned. I smiled a little. "Well, if my hands are skilled when it comes to something as difficult as pick pocketing then they can be skilled in other things. Such as creating different things, and/or threatening your roommate when he's being annoying." I said, rolling my eyes. It wasn't technically a lie. I just left out the stealing things part. "But mostly because my dad insisted it be a skill I master. He's the one who taught me." I added. That is true. Dad always insisted pick pocketing be the skill I learn most about. I thought. Shoto hummed a little. "Do you think you could teach me?" He questioned. I raised an eyebrow. "Do I get an explanation?" I countered. He laughed a little before smirking ever so slightly. "I'm allowed to be mischievous from time to time. My classmates were always a bad influence on me. But I may, or may not, want to prank Bakugo every once in a while." Shoto explained. I laughed a little, relaxing slightly. "Alright. That's reason enough for me." I said. I hummed a little to myself. "Let me see your hands real quick." I said holding out my hands for him. He tilted his head in confusion but placed his hands on mine. I quickly took note that his left hand was a lot warmer than his right. I hummed a little observing his hands before flipping them over to look at his palms. I nodded a little with a smile. "I think I can teach you." I confirmed. I released his left hand before holding up his right pressed against my hand. "Notice how my hands are smaller than yours. Smaller hands have an advantage when it comes to pick pocketing. But seeing as how you're a Pro Hero, Number 1 at that, I think you'd have the trust of most your co-workers. That includes Kacchan. You can use that to your advantage." I explained. He nodded slightly before folding both his hands in front of him. I smirked a little. "Since your specific target is Kacchan, and you're a beginner, it's good to always know which pocket he puts things in. Ever since we were kids Kacchan puts things in the pocket of his dominate side. Kacchan is right handed. He likes to put things in his right pocket. Not sure if that's changed over the years, but that's the best way to tell." I explained. Shoto sweatdropped a little. "How do you remember something like that?" He questioned. I laughed a little. "I always watched Kacchan closely as a kid. Remember? I'm a super nerd." I said. "Anywho, back on topic." I said. 

"Skill in pick pocketing relies entirely on your skill with your hands. How quick and how subtle you can be, not just before hand knowledge. One way to test how skilled you are at current levels, and how much practice you may need, is by folding origami. That's how my dad taught me. It's not only a good way to practice. But by timing yourself you can test how far you've improved." I explained. I stood up quickly before beckoning him to follow. We walked over to Shinso's desk and I pulled out a piece of paper and a stop watch. I handed him the watch with a smirk before cracking my knuckles and sitting down at Shinso's desk. "Go ahead and start the watch." I said. He heard the click and began folding a paper swan quickly. After about a minute. "Done." I said. Shoto stopped the watch. I stood up handing him the paper swan. "I've had time to master skill with my hands. Notice that it only took my about a minute or less for a paper swan. Of course depending on what you're making is also a factor. Just like how big the item is can effect pick pocketing. He nodded slightly before setting the watch and swan down. "You seem to have experience with this." He said. I chuckled a little. "My father taught me from a very young age. He wanted me to have these skills. I've had years to practice. Besides, it was a fun pass time when I was suppose to be doing homework." I said with a small eye roll. "Now, another skill that comes with pick pocketing is slight of hand. Which is always important." I said. "That's the kind of thing magicians use for their illusions correct?" Shoto questioned. "Ding, ding, ding!" I said cheerfully. I motioned towards my sleeves. "Hiding something legit up your sleeve." I started. I motioned to a tailcoat pocket. "Subtly sneaking something into your pocket." I continued. I smirked pulling out my own wallet from Shoto's pocket. "Or hiding it on someone else." I concluded. Shoto stared at me wide eyed in shock. "How? When? What!?" He questioned in shock. I laughed moving my hand in a circular motion as the wallet disappeared. "Slight of hand is very important. If you can do something like pallor tricks well..." I trailed off holding my wallet in my left hand and his wallet in my right. "Pick pocketing becomes easy." I said. He stared at me in shock. Mouth agape. I smiled a little, slipping his wallet back in his pocket before closing his mouth for him and patting his head. "You'll get the hang of it Shoto. Practice makes perfect." I said. I handed him a small strip of paper. "There's my number. Shoot me a text once in a while. Maybe we can arrange another meeting. But I'm serious. You need to be going now. Before the trains get crowded by people that work at night." I said. Shoto nodded a little, stuffing the paper in his pocket. "I'll make sure to do that. It was nice meeting you, er. Officially meeting you." He added. I laughed a little. "You too. And thanks for listening to me and my ranting." I said. He nodded with a small smile. "Anytime. Later Izuku." He said, turning to walk out the door. "Later." I returned as he left. 

"Well that was a close call." Shinso said, suddenly at my side. I jumped nearly kicking him if it wasn't for his quick dodge. "For the love of-! Shinso! What have I said about sneaking up on me!?" I shouted. He chuckled a little. "How did you even get in here without me or Shoto noticing!?" I added, gesturing at him. "Secret Celebrity Entrance." Shinso responded. I just glared at him. "By the way, what happened to your no lying rule?" He asked. I sighed a little. "I didn't lie at all to him. Not once this evening. I just left certain details out or fed him bits of the truth without going into detail. I know small ways around my own rule. But I made the no lying rule because I hate liars. And because I need to manipulate people without lying. Granted, my Quirk does make me a rather good liar." I explained. Shinso nodded slightly. "By the way, I have a new target. So you might want to put your 'blooming romantic' with Todoroki on a hold." I started blushing before smacking at him as he smiled. "Shut up d*mnit!" I hissed.