𝙏𝙒𝙊 𝙈𝙊𝙉𝙏𝙃𝙎 𝙋𝙍𝙄𝙊𝙍
𝘖𝘊𝘛𝘖𝘉𝘌𝘙
. . .
The League of Villains. After the kidnapping of Katsuki Bakugou and Kaori Shimura during Class 1A's training camp, along with All For One and All Might's final battle following a few days after, the League's traces had nearly gone invisible and they became a sliver of a memory to the people. Many thought they were defeated and disbanded, leaving the citizens at rest. Many of those who roamed the Underground, however, were still skeptical of their defeat.
A month prior to October, the League had made connections with the Shie Hassaikai, a Yakuza group with big plans to change the world, the man known as Overhaul as their leader. Unfortunately, their only power to do this was taken into different hands and they were defeated in less than an hour. Now, barely scraping by and with nothing on their hands, the League was left to wonder what would inspire their next movement.
Kuromi walked in silence beside her peers, listening to Toga giggle and chat away about her time with Izuku Midoriya and how excited she was to hopefully see him again. Their conversation was one-sided, but neither minded. Himiko Toga was an enthusiastic, spontaneous teenager with no off switch. Having been so controlled and restrained in her younger years, talking freely while having someone to listen was comforting, even therapeutic in a way for the young girl.
Kuromi Kurosawa, however, that was another case. She was a young woman in her early twenties, yet she seemed far more mature than that. She was quite level-headed and had an extraordinary amount of range within her power. Although she was quite the power-house, she uttered not a single mutter, and often talked through magical wisps of her incantations or simply gave small gestures as to what she wanted to say.
The rest of the League surrounded the two girls, that including Mr. Compress, Spinner, Twice, Dabi, and the young head, Shigaraki. As the cyan-haired man's footsteps came to a halt, the group followed suit, a silence passing over them. From beneath them, the ground shook, trembling horrendously and causing Toga to stumble, falling into Kuromi's arms. Kuromi held her steady and close, helping the girl to catch her balance.
The ground split and cracked from beneath them, a rock-hard fist appearing from beneath the surface, a giant's body following. Clothes moved with the strong wind, Kuromi's hair being thrown every which way, annoying her greatly. The man who'd sprouted from the ground almost didn't appear to be a man. He was massive, a great 20 ft tall from what Kuromi estimated. All he wore were a pair of slacks that didn't even reach his ankles. His hair was spiked, nearly raising towards the clouds like mountains, his teeth jagged and pointy.
Shigaraki lifted the blue, decapitated hand from his face, a smirk appearing on his chapped lips.
" Is this the formidable power left behind by All For One, Kurogiri? I'm not so impressed." Shigaraki talked to himself, growing a bit cocky. The great brute did not take so kindly to this comment, his fists rising above his head before sending a wave of force and rock toward the group. They were blown back by the impact, bodies flying into the ground, spines practically cracking themselves.
" WHY?! WHY, ALL FOR ONE?! TELL ME WHY, MASTER!!" The brute cried, tears streaming from the white of his eyes as he cried out in agony. Kuromi mouthed her incantation, a bright purple luminescence appearing from her palm, nails digging into the ground as she brought herself to a halt. She gave a small glare, her maroon scarf flying against her face as her hair flowed with the wind, tossing and turning. It'd be a dread to brush later. Why is he acting so emotional?
" CAN'T YOU SEE?! HE'S TOO WEAK TO DESERVE THIS!!"
Shigaraki landed on the ground, holding onto the now jagged edges of rock as best he could, afraid to be blowed all the way back to the Hassaikai with the amount of force this stupid brute had. Hearing a strange, radio-like sound, he turned his head, finding a boom-box radio station positioned on a rock, simply lying there.
" It seems you've run into some trouble, hm, Shigaraki? " A voice, old and refined, almost oddly that of a mysterious gentlemen, appeared, static appearing with it.
" Doctor..." Shigaraki quickly recognized the voice of the mysterious man.
" I trust that you've been well." The assumed Doctor stated.
Shigaraki groaned internally for a moment, " Ask me again in a moment. Maybe it'll be game over then." The great brute held his head with terror and agony, snot and tears mixing together to create the emotional mess he was.
" I HATE TO QUESTION YOU, MASTER, BUT THIS IS WRONG!! SO VERY WRONG, I CAN'T ACCEPT THIS!!" He prided with tears and emotion once again. Kuromi was beginning to question if she should simply knock him out with a spell, but with his size and brutal emotions, it would take double the amount of energy to create an incantation that powerful. She could only use simple attacks this time around.
" I take it you've come to an encounter with Gigantomachia? All For One's biggest fan, and once bodyguard. He's obtained incredible stamina and resilience, and with his body-type, he can handle multiple Quirks without having to undergo any sort of experimentation. He's a true dream compared to my children," The mysterious Doctor stated once again, static interfering with a few words.
" He planned meticulously, knowing that defeat was inevitable in his future. In order to be sure his dreams would live on, he hid Gigantomachia from view." As the wind began to die down, Kuromi cast two more incantations, bright, transparent purple chains beginning to grow from them as Dabi grew his blue flames, stepping closer slowly.
" Call me crazy, but I wouldn't call this an ideal birthday present." Dabi spoke sarcastically, earning an unimpressed look from Kuromi. He really never stops with those stupid sarcastic comments.
" Quite a keen eye, Dabi. Gigantomachia is loyal, it's why he is on this rampage of despair you see now. It pains him, in a way, that Shigaraki doesn't quite measure up to All For One." The Doctor explained.
" You're saying we gotta make this prick like us?!" Dabi questioned, his flames shooting forth as Gigantomachia raced forward, prepared to destroy these unworthy children. The scorching blue flames covered their view of the big brute, and for a moment, Dabi thought he'd managed to beat him. Until a massive fore-arm appeared from the flames, casting it aside as if the scorching flames were nothing to him.
" What the hell..?" Dabi muttered under his breath, taken aback by the amount of resilience this thing truly had.
" DABI! HE'S GONNA GET US!! DO SOMETHING!" Toga cried out as Kuromi stepped forward, her purple incantations doubling in size. Chains the size of anchors shot forward, wrapping around the brute's middle body. For a moment it seemed he was tangled up, but instead he took hold of the purple chains, crushing them in his fist as he pulled on them, dragging Kuromi forward. Kuromi dug her feet into the ground, muttering her spells, two incantations appearing under her boots, holding her there in the ground. Dabi moved forward, increasing his flame's power.
" Machia," Gigantomachia stopped struggling, holding still as the flames hit his skin with no effect and the chains barely him still. " Machia."
From the boom box, All For One's voice appeared from it, clear as day compared to the Doctor's static voice. Gigantomachia came crashing to the ground, listening close to the recording of All For One's voice. After a moment of analyzing the beast's behavior, Dabi and Kuromi ceased their attacks.
Taking off the dead hand on his face, Shigaraki claimed, " He's more trouble than he's worth."
" Don't be so sure now! He'd be a mighty asset in the future! I guess all this time with Kurogiri has made you simple." The Doctor spoke, almost disappointed and solemn, in a way.
" There's no need to be harsh, Doctor." Shigaraki said, barely affected by the Doctor's insult. He was too tired to take offense to anything right now.
" Let me try something else then. One moment." The Doctor's voice vanished after that. They waited, wondering what the Doctor would have in store. Toga appeared by Kuromi's side, her eyes narrowing.
" What is he up to?" Toga questioned softly.
" Mad-Scientist people are always so-" From behind, Twice had begun to speak, but suddenly burped mid-sentence, earning disgusted looks from the girls. Toga turned around, grimacing as she realized that sour burp would be stuck in that mask with him.
" Really, Jin? How immature can you-" Toga was interrupted as a strange, acidic feeling slid up her throat before suddenly bursting out, growing in enormous amounts before enveloping the teenager. The same action occurred with them all, one by one being covered with the acidic metal-looking liquid. Kuromi gagged uncomfortably, her vocal chords already sore from the lack of use of her voice.
Feeling a change in her surrounding, she opened her eyes slowly, finding her and her comrades now in a dimly lit, rather cluttered, room. Around them was an arrangement of tubes, filled with monstrous beings floating in purple ooze. Her eyes narrowed, seeing their disfigured looks and abnormal facial features. Nomus, but these look different.
" Gross! I hate that stuff, it stinks~!" Toga whined, flailing her arms around. Shigaraki glanced at his surroundings, the monstrous beings in their massive cages drawing the League of Villain's attention.
" Nomu. They don't look like the ones I've seen before." Dabi spoke from beside her, voicing her exact thoughts. She glanced at him, then the Nomu to their left. Dabi turned to see Kuromi, a glare replacing his features as he scoffed walking forward. She watched him walk away, lowering her eyes in annoyance. Asshole.
" Dabi. I'm impressed you can tell the difference! I always knew you had a keen pair of eyes." A voice spoke from the darkness. Eyes looking ahead, they found a man in a wheely chair, screens circling him, the ground near him disheveled and messy. Turning around to meet their eyes, Kuromi saw that Twice had made a valid point early. He really did look like the mad-scientist type. Kuromi lowered her face into her scarf, an incantation forming in her palm.
" These children before you are nothing like the mid or low-level Nomus. These are my finest creations, High-End Nomus!" The Doctor spoke dramatically.
" Good timing, I've been looking for you," Shigaraki stated, walking forward slowly. " There's something I need you to do."
" Your Sister and Your Father, the others, are they doing well?" The Doctor quickly questioned, seemingly putting Shigaraki to a halt. A bit stunned by the random question, he looked to the ground, shrugging mildly.
" Sure."
" I prefer my location remain secret, that being why I summoned you here through transmission. Besides Shigaraki, your faces are all knew to me." The Doctor said, gesturing to those behind the little apprentice of All For One.
" Much like Gigantomachia, I'm a #1 assistant to All For One, his man in the chair. Now, let's talk business." The man said. The incantation in Kuromi's hand shined for a moment, disappearing just as fast. Reading the man's information, she found his pseudonym to be Darumo Ujiko. He really was the mad-scientist type, and his Quirk was incredibly powerful, sustaining his life far longer than the regular person.
" My life, my tech, everything, even these little one's here, are all dedicated to our boss, the great All For One. Up until now, you've been moving forward with just my spares and leftovers. It's not that I don't like you, I'm remaining cautious. You have to be worthy of receiving the most divine fruits of my labor," The Doctor said, eyes narrowing on the broken group before him. Noting all they'd down, they'd been making two steps forward to take three more back.
" So far, however, I'm unimpressed by your work."
" A 20-year-old reject, hanging around with the broken children of society. Hell, if the Heroes bribed you with your Sister, you'd probably go right along-" At the abrupt and rather rude mention of his loyalty and his Sister, Shigaraki interrupted.
" Don't talk about Ori-chan like that, you know my loyalty to Master comes first. Besides, I'm quite sure her ideas of Heroes are changing, she'll come around eventually." Shigaraki defended, lowering his gaze as the Doctor's eyes narrowed another degree thinner.
" Sure, whatever. Show me something that'll change my mind, Tomura Shigaraki. Be quick about it, though, I've got things to do." The Doctor waved his hand toward the boy, awaiting whatever response Tomura could forge. For a moment, it was silent. At the very mention of his Sister, the odd picture of a rather large, stressed, and aggressive hand appeared before him, followed by a terrified tone of voice.
" Stop it, Tenko!"
He looked up at the ceiling, as if the answer was written there, " I don't remember much before you and Master. Only Ori-chan. It's strange."
" Yes, I'm quite well aware of that fact. All you did was mutter that name." The Doctor said, speaking that last bit in a gruff tone, remembering the 7 year old boy who'd done nothing but mutter that silly name. Reaching into his pocket, Shigaraki brought out the hand he called 'Father'. Kuromi's eyes watched Shigaraki, listening carefully.
" And yet, when I put these on my body, there's an uncontrollable rage that washes over me. I don't know what it is or where it came from, but when I wear them, it's all I feel. Ever since then, I've been thinking about what happened." He remembered back, as far as he could venture, to that moment under the bridge, in the cold and muddy rain, where All For One had first taken him under his wing. Relief and sadness had never fell so heavily on him like it did then.
" There is no memory beyond what happened, just when Master held me. Except for the name Ori-chan, she meant nothing to me then. I was hollow, an empty shell with nothing inside." He remembered, the moment he was presented with the severed hands of his family, it all came rolling back in pieces, the anger and sadness and grief. It was all so much, it drove him sick.
" When I put these on, the feelings come back. Though I feel sick to my stomach, it also provides a strange sense of calm. It's bizarre." Shigaraki concurred, looking back at the Doctor now. To them all, hearing his words, the feeling of sameness could wash over them. Rejects, the outcasts of society, thrown to the dirt and left to eat dust, many of them were turned away, beaten, shunned for who they were.
" My mind's empty, beyond those fragmented pieces, and yet there's always a heaviness in my heart, like lead. Always still, fueling the rage that drives me, but it never brings that relief." Now, Shigaraki gave off a sort of smile, coming to a realization, something utterly disappointing.
" Even if we bring down Hero society, even if I rule the ruins from the shadows, that lead will stick with me, all my life. That's why I despise all in existence. All that lives and breaths, presses on the weight of my soul." His voice grew in his rasp, his strange, chaotic, cat-like smile appearing.
" Why shouldn't I destroy society then? When the people suffer, they destroy what drives them mad, so why should I have to endure that pain? When this world falls, there'll be a new horizon that awaits those worthy," The League of Villains listened close, wanting this new world. Why should they let themselves be cast aside so others can enjoy the wonders of life? Why shouldn't they return the very feeling of despair they endured every single day.
" If you help me, I'll show you the halls of Heaven and the depths of Hell. It'll all end in chaos, and from it, something new will arise. Something better than Heaven or Hell." Shigaraki proclaimed. There was silence amongst them all as the Doctor took in all the information.
" You say you'll destroy Hero Society, yet your own blood is training to become part of it. What'll you do about that? There's only so much time before you have to give her up." The Doctor inquired, quirking his head to the side. Shigaraki, barely blinking an eye with no movement.
" The only difference between Ori-chan and I is our upbringing. She was raised by a Hero, I was raised by Master. Something that binds us both, however, is the very understanding of this World. She knows, deep down, that this World would turn her away in the blink of an eye if she even spoke so much about understanding us," Shigaraki grinned his evil-way, just imagining all the poor and betrayed looks of the Heroes when Kaori crossed over and joined forces.
" Once she realizes the hard truth, it's game over for the Heroes."
Silence crept between them before the Doctor gave off a laugh, clapping his hands together.
" Sure, I'll help you, only if you can back up that big speech with action. A villain's philosophy is worthless if he can't bring his dreams to life!" The Doctor proclaimed. Toga cleared her throat, eyes narrowed slightly, taking in Tomura's words fully.
" Tomura, this plan of your's, it sounds a little deranged. Are you even gonna destroy the things I love?" Toga asked softly, thinking of her precious green-haired Hero and her beautiful brown-eyed Heroine.
" There's always rooms for my comrades wishes." Shigaraki added, Toga lighting up like a light-bulb, jumping up as she giggled excitedly. Kuromi felt a weight lift off her shoulders. If this was true, she'd have her chance to eliminate the appalling sinners of the world. Those who chained and treated their own kind like muck. And I'll start with you, Mother.
" You past the test with flying colors, well done!" The Dr. congratulated.
" You were testing me?" Shigaraki questioned, a bit annoyed he'd just had to monologue his way through a silly exam.
" Well now I can't just hand over all my power, can I. Although you're quite appalling, you're all far too weak to trust." The Dr. claimed, leaning forward in his seat. Kuromi bit the inside of her cheek, annoyed by this statement. I'm not that weak.
" There's something you can do, however," Dr. Ujiko said, catching the groups attention once more. " Gigantomachia, he's a powerful ally to us both. Unlike me, however, he hasn't found you so worthy of All For One's choice. If you can make him submit to you, you'll have my power and all that you require, just as you see fit. Catching the drift?"
Dabi crossed his arms, speaking in a gruff voice, " Just so you know, I'm not helping."
" Don't be a brat just because your Quirk didn't work on the big guy." Toga said, smiling as usual as she teased the man about it. Feeling a vein pop in irritation, Dabi quickly defended himself.
" That's not why, you psycho. I've got an ally in mind. Any objections?" Dabi asked, turning towards their leader.
" Go ahead, I look forward to meeting them." Shigaraki stated, pleased by the unusual deal of respect Dabi gave him.
" Good, I would've done it either way."
Ignoring Dabi's last statement, Shigaraki turned back to the doctor. " Go on and send us back now. I'd like to get a head start." From the ground below, a strange device was lifted up towards Shigaraki.
" From this point forward, use this device to contact me." After each of them taking a small ear-piece, Dr. Ujiko picked up a rather pint-sized Nomu, having it use the same Quirk which brought them here send them back. All except for Kuromi Kurosawa.
" You confuse me a lot, kid. Back when you were young and you attacked that woman, All For One came to you and offered to help, but you turned him down, saying you wanted a steady life with no more complications. Yet you've joined Shigaraki." Dr. Ujiko said, striking a nerve in the young woman.
" I-i...don't..." She struggled to grasp the right words, her voice coming out soft and broken.
" Don't stress yourself, kid. Those vocal chords probably haven't been used in years." Dr. Ujiko continued, earning a glare from the girl. Incantations drew themselves in her palm and on her finger-tips, her hands moving in delicate motions, words appearing in the air.
I didn't attack that woman. I was terrified, I never meant to pain her like I did.
" Yeah, well, life is odd. But where is that steady life? Were you looking to atone, or did you realize it was time to change society?" Dr. Ujiko questioned, leaning his head against his palm as he awaited he awaited her answer. The incantations fell from existence as she remained silent. Dr. Ujiko smiled under his bushy mustache, eyes narrowing slyly.
" You know, kid, maybe it's best you didn't join All For One at first. Otherwise, you might've turned into one of my children!" The man gave off a laugh as he remembered the years prior. Kuromi continued to glare, glancing at the creatures around her. He wiped a tear from his eye before having the Nomu on his lap send her back. Appearing back in the mountains, where the League fought the Gigantomachia, Kuromi felt a burning passion.
Incantations lit up her palm as she charged forward, joining her comrades in their mission to take down Machia. I didn't mean to hurt you, Naomi Sakura.