"And I can help!" Richard exclaims, "mom if this works we can stop the League of Villains! I don the mask, go in, and-"

"No you're staying right in that hospital bed," Midnight sighs, "you are not moving until you've regained your strength."

"But I'm gonna be able to check out of here tomorrow," Richard explains.

"Yeah and Summer will have started by then," Midnight replies, "I'm not letting you get hurt. I'm putting my foot down this time. No hero stuff. No Purity stuff. You can hang out with your friends, play video games, whatever, but nothing stressful."

"I'm always stressed mom," Richard sighs, "cause my work is never done. I have to protect. Do you not understand?"

"I do," Midnight sighs, "but you need to take it easy for a while. OK? I'm only saying this because I'm worried about you."

"I understand," Richard sighs, "give me the word, and I can set up a fake target for them to go after. A real target works too, but, eh."

"I think a fake target would be best," Midnight explains, "a real target could complicate the situation."

"Understood," Richard replies, "this is gonna be great. Teaching those bastards a lesson. I can't believe All for One could be so stupid."

Midnight forces a smile, knowing better. All for One isn't stupid. Had Richard not told her about this, not trusted her enough, then it's possible, nay, inevitable, that All for One could have converted him into a true villain.

"Yeah," Midnight lies, "he sure is. I'll get things ready. You stay here."

Richard hugs Midnight. "Love you mom."

"I love you too," Midnight replies, returning the hug before exiting the room, sighing with relife that Richard is cooperating and recovering, as Vamp continues to get better. Not to mention her date with All Might tonight. Everything has pulled a 180 for her, and she smiles, knowing soon the League of Villains will be taken care of. What could go wrong?...

Richard.

That's what.

The only person who can screw this up is the person who doesn't have to do much of anything at all.

How?

It's quite simple.

"So we just sit here?" Puirty asks.

"Yes," Richard replies, "we are."

"If you're just gonna ignore me go ahead and get mental help," Purity sighs, floating, like a spectre of vengeance, causally leaning back onto his forearms behind his head, "I mean if I no longer serve purpose why keep me?"

"Soon I will," Richard replies, "but for now, I'm not ready to tell anyone else but Deku."

"You're a coward," Purity chuckles.

"What?" Richard demands.

"You're a coward and a failure," Purity repeats, "and that's all you are.  You are your father. You are your mother. The blood of that town runs through your veins!"

"Stop it!" Richard exclaims.

"Get up," Purity demands, glaring, "We have much work to so. Much work indeed."

"Lies lies lies!" Richard covers his ears, "I'm not them! I'm not!"

"You are slothful," Purity exclaims, "slothful! Slothful! Slothful! How can you rest! How!?! They will take Deku! They will take everyone!"

"No no no!" Richard begins to cry, covering his ears.

"You can't be obsessed over a goal when that goal is ALL THAT MATTERS!" Purity howls with laughter.

Richard shakes his head, trying to block it out until eventually Puirty sighs.

"I've had enough fun," Purity smirks, "I'm off to bed. Back into the depths of your subconscious."

Purity fades into black smoke. Still crying, Richard calls Deku.

Deku answers, kindly with a, "hey dude."

"Deku I'm going off the deep end," Richard explains, crying.

"Slow down," Deku replies, "deep breaths bro. What's going on?"

"The voices call me slothful for trying to recover," Richard explains, "and he says I'm becoming my dad and that I failed."

"Richard none of that is true," Deku replies, "and if anything, you've commited the deadly sin of wrath but that's a whole other can of worms we can adress later."

"But I did fail!" Richard exclaims, "they took Morgan. They took my sister Deku."

"Who's Morgan?" Deku asks, "what happened Richard?"

The laughter echos as Richard clenches his fist, the laughter and sound of clinking glasses echo in his mind as he runs his hands through his hair nervously, compulsively biting his nails and clinging to his jacket.

"Holidays," Richard laughs, "Christmas, Halloween, and so on. Oh how I used to love them. They were so... so... blissful."

"What do holidays have to do with this?" Deku asks.

"Summer," Richard laughs madly, his mind shattering like a glass bowl, "fourth of July, days like that. I loved them. I was happy, but the impure, they can even take that away. Deku, whenever there's a holiday I merely lock myself in my room, sometimes I cry, and I just text those I trust. I can't protect anyone. Not like this."

"That's enough," Deku retorts, "you're speaking nonsense. Take a deep breath OK?"

"OK," Richard replies.

"Imagine the world ten years from now," Deku explains, "U.A. reformed, the ringleader of that wretched lie in jail, the League of Villains gone, and the world is a better place. What do you do?"

"Well what purpose does my life serve at such a point?" Richard asks, "if the world is a better place men like me aren't needed."

"I said better not perfect," Deku replies, "so just, picture it. You and Lily, and life is great. No more impure, and no more League. No more betrayal. No more of any of this or that. You're an amazing hero, and you're happy. You finally understand you have human limitations and can only save so many, and that's OK. You have a family Richard."

"Thanks Deku," Richard smiles wiping his tears away, "I needed that."

"Just one question," Deku asks.

"Anything," Richard replies.

"I sorta went along with it," Deku explains, "but did you say impure? Like, Purity?"

"Deku," Richard sighs, "look... I..."

"Of course not," Deku shakes his head, "he has a different quirk than you do."

"Yeah," Richard chuckles awkwardly, "right."

"Anyways I gotta go," Deku explains, "Asui, Tenya, Lily, Vamp, and I are catching a movie."

"You have fun," Richard smiles.

"Will do," Deku replies, "stay safe."

Deku hangs up, as Richard sighs, looking out the window.

"After the attack," he mutters to himself, "I'll tell him the truth..."