It sounds like the start of a bad joke: A conman accidentally walks into a bar full of villains.
Reigen had just wanted a drink...but whatever; these guys clearly were in desperate need of his services.
Villains of Circumstance
is a Mob Psycho 100/My Hero Academia Fusion Fic written by sanchoyo on AO3. The League of Villains end up in the company of a sweaty patron who provides some unexpected but miraculous life coaching.
Villains of Circumstance provides examples of:
- Achievements in Ignorance: Without having any knowledge of Shigaraki's history, Reigen was able to deduce that the television used to communicate with All For One was the source behind everyone's negative energy.
- Armor-Piercing Response: Reigen is able to get Shigaraki to stop his attack and rethink his life choices with the following words of advice.Reigen: Then it sounds like you’re long overdue to learn some news skills! Unless you’re saying it’s too hard- that you can’t do that much? I'm not just confident, I'm right. You-you can learn to do that, too!
- Awesome by Analysis: Reigen's ability to read people comes in full clutch as he takes notes on each villain's motives and how to help them with their respective issues. He even manages to discover that Dabi was the abused son of Endeavor.
- The Baby of the Bunch: Reigen explicitly brings up Himiko being a minor and how her adult friends aren't being good role models to her.
- Beyond the Impossible: To Kurogiri's lament, Reigen gets Shigaraki to stop slouching, something the Warp Villain has tried to do with little success.
- Call-Back:
- Himiko brings up Reigen's cancel era from the Separate Ways Arc.
- The con man remembers Shigaraki orchestrating the USJ Attack.
- Later, Reigen reminds Mob about his lesson on "guys that hit women".
- Mob brings up the reformed Claw Bosses when his master mentions that the League of Villains would be stopping by for consultation.
- Cooldown Hug: Reigen gives one to Himiko as she breaks down over how she tried, and failed, to be a good girl for her parents.
- Crusading Lawyer: Spinner is convinced to become a lawyer if he's interested in weeding out corrupt heroes while defending innocent people.
- Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: After piecing together that Dabi is Endeavor's son with a history of abuse, Reigen tries to convince him to hold off on any suicidal revenge plots for the sake of reuniting with his mother Rei, especially since Dabi wants his father to pay for abusing her. And while he has Dimple ruin Endeavor's hero career, the con man implores Dabi to prep himself so he can reunite with his mom and siblings.
- Everything's Better with Sparkles: Dabi's eyes were written as sparkling when Reigen whispers his package deal of taking revenge against Endeavor.
- For Want Of A Nail: The story is kickstarted because Reigen decided to go to a new bar instead of his regular one.
- Get Out!: Reigen says this to Shigaraki after revealing that he plans to turn the League into a consultation service using the con man's practices. Though Mob can tell that there was no malice in his master's command.
- Go-Karting with Bowser: Despite refusing the con man's life coaching, Compress does offer Reigen an invitation to join him in playing underground poker.
- The Golden Rule: To persuade Himiko from killing people for satisfy her need for blood, Reigen asks her if she would like to be harmed the same way.
- Heel–Face Turn: While they haven't officially quit being evildoers, the League of Villains are now making an effort to rethink their life choices and pursue alternative careers while putting a hold on any criminal activity.
- Humanizing Tears: Himiko breaks down crying after Reigen becomes the first adult to understand her vampiric condition while offering to get in touch with a former client to provide her with some blood to drink.
- It's Personal: Dabi is deadset on getting revenge on Endeavor for abusing his mom and siblings.
- It's the Best Whatever, Ever!: Dabi proclaims to be having the best day of his life after seeing his abusive father act like a lunatic as he chases after the invisible Dimple on public television.
- Mistaken For Crazy: Reigen's package deal involves sending Dimple to torment Endeavor while tricking him into destroying public property with his fire Quirk. He hopes that Endeavor making a ludicrous spectacle of himself will be enough for either the Hero Commission to force him to retire or for him to leave Dabi's mother and siblings alone.
- Mythology Gag:
- Reigen still has his green belt in karate.
- He also mentions that Shigaraki's soul could make him vulnerable to spiritual possession. Shigaraki thinks that's stupid.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: Reigen's adventure with the League began because he wanted a drink after his workday. And the villains grant him one after their intense, but productive, life coaching session.
- Noodle Incident:
- Reigen ended up breaking his old TV after an intense exorcism involving a mop and incense.
- He also mentions having been late to work because of several "bad heroes".
- Not So Above It All: Kurogiri ends up swayed by Reigen's words along with the promise of a future massage.
- No-Sell: Endeavor has zero luck in attacking Dimple with his fire power which only leads to major damages against public property.
- An Offer You Can't Refuse: Reigen convinces Dimple to haunt Endeavor until he publicly confesses to his decade as an abuser while relinquishing parental custody to Rei. Failure to do so will result in the green ghost gaslighting the gruesome galoot until his hero career is in ashes.
- Oh, Crap!: The con man gets this reaction after realizing that Dabi is Endeavor's son and a witness to his mother's abuse by the Flame Hero's hand.
- Rage Breaking Point: Shigaraki tries to strangle Reigen after hearing enough about being morally righteous and how he should rejoin society.
- Start My Own: To Reigen's irritation, Shigaraki has decided to make his own ghost hunting and consultation group and will make his base in the area.
- Too Much Alike: Compress instantly refuses Reigen's "services" as he knows how similar they are in regards to their showmanship personalities.
- Un-Sorcerer: Reigen is Quirkless in this reality but he still proclaims to have "psychic" powers.
- Villain Respect: Shigaraki is utterly amazed after Reigen effortlessly points to the bar's television as the source of the negative energy as it relates to his dark master. And by the end, Reigen ends up earning the respect and admiration of the League of Former Villains.
- Villainous Friendship: Reigen uses the friendships between the League of Villains in order to reveal their past traumas and personal demons to support one another.
- The Workaholic: Shigaraki accuses Kurogiri of constantly working rather than socializing with him or his friends.
- Would Rather Suffer: Dabi confesses that he's gladly take on his suicide mission of taking down Endeavor as he has nothing left to lose.
- You Didn't Ask: Played for Drama. According to Himiko, no one has ever asked about why she's so fascinated with drinking blood.
- You Remind Me of X:
- The con man tries to reach out to Spinner by claiming to have a friend (Serizawa) who was a former shut-in but is now doing better in life.
- He would later think to himself of how Himiko reminded him of Mob due to their friendly personalities while also having scary and harmful powers.
