After the battle between Tomura Shigaraki and Re-Destro, it was announced all over Deika the Meta Liberation Army was then under the might of the League Of Villains. The fighting ceased, but the tension was still thick in the air.
After years of devotion to Destro's cause, they would suddenly be conquered by the man that they were meant to fight? They heard it first hand, the League had grown far too popular, and was going to give their cause a bad rep, meaning they must be annihilated.
And then Re-Destro forfeited.
The League wasn't too found of the Liberation Army either. Tomura Shigaraki had indeed come out victorious, but was so heavily injured, that was enough by itself to keep their trust limited with those outside of their club. Plus, their darling Toga was badly injured, and another of their's was missing.
As the League regrouped, the doubled Twices following and keeping their friends close inside the huddle, they passed whispers about fanning out to find Kuromi.
" Dabi, somethings caught on your shoe, in the chain." Compress pointed out, the group stopping for a moment as Dabi looked down, picking his foot up. Caught in the chain near his heel was a maroon scarf, a bit dirty and torn.
Twice gasped, pointing at it, " HEY THAT LOOKS LIKE-"
" Witchy's scarf." Dabi untangled the scarf, holding it out as he recognized the golden-star pin. His eyes darkened as he turned on his heel, stuffing it in his pocket.
" I'm goin' to look for that quitter. I'm gonna kill her when I see her.." Dabi called back, muttering the last part not very well. He made his way through the crowds, wandering the streets of Deika in search of the League's witch.
Not far from where Dabi walked, Kuromi and the small army of Meta Liberation Warriors entered the cities main assortment of buildings and roads. Kuromi looked at the buildings and roads surrounding her. Here it's deserted, but it looks like Shigaraki's decay even managed to scratch the edges of this bowl.
They passed another deserted street, this one washed with blood and dead bodies, much of the Liberation Army gasping as they recognized some of the bodies.
" Curious is dead, too?!" " She was serious, Re-Destro's gave in."
Kuromi ignored their chatter, reaching up to touch her scarf before realizing it was no longer there. Her hand fell slowly, eyes lowering to the ground solemnly. She raised her head high, an emerald incantation slowly forming in her palm before shining brightly, her feet coming to a halt, the army behind her following suit.
After a moment of silence, a figure appeared in the air, screaming as the same green hue her incantations had encircled the person. Kuromi's eyes narrowed in confusion as the figure suddenly came crashing to the ground before her feet, her scarf in their hands.
" What the hell..?" She spoke confusedly as the revealed character, Dabi, shook in aggravation on the ground, groaning curses a mile a minute. Kuromi knelt down to the ground, taking her scarf out of his hands.
She picked up Dabi's head by his hair, watching his face contort into confusion. Dabi was beyond shocked, he'd never seen Kuromi without her scarf before. Damn, I thought she'd be ugly, but she's, Dabi thought to himself, the sun shining behind Kuromi's head. Not ugly...
" Your face looks stupid."
Kuromi let go of Dabi's hair, his face crashing back into the ground. Dabi made another noise of pain and irritation, turning over as he lay on his back, holding his nose in pain. Kuromi stood to full height, looking down at Dabi in annoyance as he squinted his eyes at her.
" You're talking.."
" No, one of these fools is speaking and I'm mouthing along," She kicked his head lightly, Dabi's hand flying to comfort his now injured head. " Yes, I'm talking."
" I think I preferred when you were mute and meek." Dabi grumbled, sitting up as he comforted himself. He turned towards her, glaring darkly.
" Where the hell were you, taking a nice, long shower while we did the work?"
Kuromi rolled her eyes, scoffing as she walked past him, the crowd following her every move. Dabi watched in confusion as the crowd followed her like a lost puppy through the streets. He stood to his feet, running through the crowd, slowing his pace as he came to walk side-by-side with her.
" Well? You gonna go mute when the others come around?"
" I'll talk whenever I want now."
" What joy."
Dabi placed his hands behind his head as he walked with a laid-back pace. Kuromi wrapped her scarf around her neck once more, green wisps twirling around the scarf as it returned it to it's new, clean state.
" You didn't believe me when I told you I was Kuromi Kurosawa." She whispered, just loud enough so only he could hear. Dabi rolled his eyes as a foul taste set on his tongue.
" Kuromi was Quirkless, and she sure as hell wasn't low enough to become a Villain." Dabi retorted, glaring at her. Who the hell does she think she is, Dabi thought to himself, Kuromi's head turning to stare at him, acting like my friend?
" Said the boy who wanted to be a Hero. Who'd have thought HIS son would become a murderer." She spoke in her own bitter tone, looking back towards the path ahead. Dabi stopped, placing a steaming hand on Kuromi's shoulder.
" Oi, all of you go on." Dabi called back to those behind them as they came to a halt. None moved, further annoying Dabi.
" Didn't you hear me? I SAID MOVE IT!!" Dabi screamed, turning to look back at the crowd as he cast a wave of fire over their heads. Kuromi took his wrist in her hand, holding it tightly as their glares met each other.
" Go on, all of you." At Kuromi's voice, the group moved around them, quickly venturing further into the city leaving the two alone. Kuromi threw Dabi's wrist back at him, a scowl accompanying her once calm features.
" I'm not him."
" I never said you were, Touya."
Dabi got closer to her face, lighting his palm with Fire, " Touya is dead."
" You can't escape your own skin." She fired back, watching as his face contorted into hate and disgust.
" You aren't my friend, you aren't Kuromi, no matter what you say. My Kuromi wasn't some prideful bitch, or murderous lowlife, or anything close to what I was-, what I am," He poked a finger at her chest, eyes practically aflame. " Don't you dare try to be her."
The two stood in silence, breathing in the same irritation as they kept their contest of hatred going. Dabi slowly stepped back, walking away from her with the same scowl.
Kuromi stood there, breathing in and out heavily before raising her arm, an incantation firing off at the building in front of Dabi. As the building collapsed in on itself, Dabi turned to look back at the woman, ready to blow his top off until he caught sight of the tears strolling from her eyes. She was silent, yet her face was contorted with the screams of Hell.
" What are you doing...?" Dabi was dumbfounded by the fact she was crying.
" Nobody gets to tell me who the hell I am, NOT ANYMORE!" She yelled at him, green magic swarming around her before vanishing into violent gusts of wind.
She pointed at him, her hand shaking, " DON'T YOU STARE AT ME WITH THAT DUMB LOOK ON YOUR FACE!! HOW ELSE WOULD I KNOW, HOW WOULD I KNOW YOU'RE TOUYA?!"
" You bastard-" Dabi hissed, his palms going aflame before being blown away by the sheer power of the wind.
" SHUT UP! I'M SICK OF YOU AND YOUR BLOWN-OUT EGO!! I'M DONE TRYING TO CONVINCE YOU OF WHO I AM!! I'M KUROMI KUROSAWA, NOT WITCH-BITCH, NOT ANOTHER PERSON YOU GET TO BULLY!"
Kuromi's hand came in contact with Dabi's face quickly, the sheer force tossing his head to the side, leaving a bright red print. The wind around them calmed slowly, Kuromi's breaths starting to even out again. Dabi turned back towards her, eyes still processing.
Kuromi let out a heavy, painful sigh, lowering her head, " I was foolish to think we could reunite as friends." She walked past him, stuffing her hands in her pockets.
" You're just another selfish asshole in this shitty world."
. . .
One Week Later
A week had passed, and much had happened in that time. Toga had recovered quick after a few healing sessions with Kuromi. Spinner and Compress were fine aside from a few bruises, cuts, and scrapes. Twice was another deal, however. Since breaking from a portion of his trauma, he'd seemed even more unhinged, arguing with more and more of himself.
Shigaraki was also another case. He was beaten, from top to bottom, but also renewed in terms of mentality. He seemed a little more spaced out than usual, and this quickly bought Kuromi's curiosity.
" Did something occur during your fight with Re-Destro?" She asked as she wrapped a new set of bandages around his bare chest. He received many new, many larger scars from his sudden Quirk power-up. I only hope Kaori doesn't get into this much trouble.
Shigaraki was silent for a moment, " I never remembered anyone other than Kaori."
He looked at the locket in his hands, now cracked and slightly flattened. He knew he should've protected it better, but what was done was done. He opened it, recognizing the faces now, the souls returning to their bodies, but he only starred at the baby in his Mother's arms.
" But then, fighting that Re-Destro, I remembered everything. I murdered my family, I destroyed the home my Father built," He recalled, watching as the memory played on loop. " But Kaori's still alive. I don't understand that part..."
Kuromi tightened his bandages, hearing a small grunt escape him. She took his arm gently, removing the old bandages as she grabbed the new ones.
" Perhaps she managed to escape. Be thankful she's alive at all, even if her escape is a mystery." Kuromi recommended, tying the bandage tightly. She walked in front of Shigaraki, lifting his head as she inspected the scar near his hairline.
Shigaraki watched her, although she managed to ignore him, taking in the features he'd missed behind her scarf. He was never quite interested in her before. She was a walking mystery, he was used to her being the ghost of the League.
" Have you seen Kaori lately?" He asked, watching as she stood to full height, walking towards the table on the other side of the room.
" No, I haven't the chance. Have you felt something wrong?" She asked, grabbing his shirt as she threw it at his side. He took the shirt, throwing it on over the multiple bandaged layers of his body. He shook his head as Kuromi walked back over to him.
" Stay still, I'm going to enact the spell again." She commanded softly, moving to stand behind the couch, moving his newly fashioned white hair aside. Her hand floated above it, a pentagram glowing on his neck. The lavender suddenly overflowed with green, the wisps of the connection appearing from his neck, stitching a new design in the pentagram.
After a moment, the spell was recast, leaving a tingling sensation on Shigaraki's skin.
" Now you should be able to recognize her feelings, as she will be able to recognize your's." Kuromi explained. Shigaraki nodded, understanding her words, yet still feeling a strange emptiness inside. Was he already feeling his Sister's emotions, or were these his own?
. . .
Middle of December
As December carried on, so did people's ambitions and wonders for the new year. Little would they know of the unfortunate future that was merely building behind the scenes.
For Kaori, she was spending her days bonding with her friends, and working as the Omen Vigilante by night. For her Brother, however, things were just cooking up.
In the hospital provided for Dr. Ujiko and Shigaraki in Deika, they prepared for a quite extraordinary experiment to take place.
" You can obliterate not only something you touch, now, but whatever is connected to it as well. Quite a powerful upgrade, if you ask me. You're the embodiment of destruction."
The Doctor paused, watching his experiment before him. Shigaraki stood, back to Dr. Ujiko, his scarred hand holding the only remnant of his decapitated hands.
" Why do you still seek more power?"
Shigaraki's voice was quiet, empty almost, " If more strength is available, why wouldn't I take it?"
" My arm is ravaged, and that's just from using my new ability once. I'd be better off dead like this with a whole war coming now. I can't underestimate Heroes anymore.
" I'll use every power available against All Might and his legacy. This fight will destroy everything he's built to protect, I'll be sure of it." Shigaraki was so empty and full of inspiration at the same time, so similar to his Master in that way.
" Like Master like student, I suppose, using your powers to make your foes miserable." As Dr. Ujiko rambled on about Quirks and his apprenticeship to All For One, Shigaraki could only think of the war ahead. It was so close, he wanted it now. He wanted to tear it all down, to have his make-shift world, to have his Sister by his side.
She'll join me then, he thought to himself, now starring at the cracked locket in his other hand. Ori-chan will see the Heroes' true colors, she'll destroy the world with me.
Dr. Ujiko walked by, taking the decapitated hand and Shigaraki's necklace, setting it onto the table he'd use for his equipment. Shigaraki beamed in his cat-like way, Everything will perish, and we'll renew it together with the ashes of the dead world.
" How long will this take?" Shigaraki asked, growing tired of the Doctor's rambling.
" You're like a kid on Christmas, aren't you?" Dr. Ujiko joked, lowering the chair Shigaraki sat in, the back of it leaning all the way back.
" I'm overflowing with beautiful dreams of my future is all."
Dr. Ujiko chuckled almost in his mad-scientist way, " For the next four months, you will be in hellish agony. For these first two, your body will be in a state of preparation for the power you will acquire. In February, possibly March, we will start the experimentation, and in April," The Doctor let out a dry, deranged chuckle. " The world will be in your palm!"
" Even One For All."
Shigaraki's eyes filled with curiosity, " One For All?"
" Of the many intricate and beautiful designs Master had for this world, One For All was the only power that did not end up falling to plan."
Shigaraki's eyes widened slightly. His Master's plans never faltered, not once. This unruly power, this One For All, why it intrigued him so much it felt like starvation.
Shigaraki could only imagine the wonders of that unruly piece, for it had to be very special if it defied the plans of his Master.
. . .
Tartarus
Though unaware of the plan they held, unaware and nearly forgetting of the outside world that was not prepared for this chaos, All For One smiled.
Late in the hours of Midnight, he awakened and he felt at joy.
" My predictions were correct!" He cheered to himself, though the eerie silence around him put him in a position of derange. Oh, Brother, you fool!
" A change within All Might's successor," He sung to himself, recalling the moment he felt One For All stir within Izuku Midoriya.
" A change in Tomura Shigaraki," He sung once again, feeling the ecstatic feeling of joy and chaos run through his veins.
" And a change within dear Kaori! How wonderful I am." He chuckled to himself, nearly driven to laugh his ass off. Yet he kept himself anonymous to the inquisitive.
" I wonder," He inquired, speaking breathlessly. " Do you know?"