[U.A. High]
Tsukauchi POV:
With a quiet tap of a card being placed on top of a reader, the door to the room I'm in swings open. I turn to see the Symbol of Peace in the flesh, curiously looking at me before shutting the door behind him.
I get up from my seat and walk over to shake his hand. "Thanks for meeting me so soon, Toshinori."
"Of course. It's a good a time as any since all the students are away for the week." The man nods back at me seriously as I guide him to sit on the couch while I pull up another chair across the coffee table.
"We have a lot to discuss." I remind him while pouring a cup of coffee. "It's not often we get a chance to talk like this."
"Haha," All Might laughs and a hint of his youth shines through before fading into a somber mood. "This time it's not just me who's busy. I've heard you've been bouncing from city to city."
I let out a sigh and lower my guard just a bit. "Well, you heard right. But the closer I get to solving a case, the farther everything else seems to be."
We sit in the silence for a moment longer, enjoying a break from both hero and detective work.
I glance up at Toshinori, scanning the heavy bags under his eyes, and ultimately cough into my fist to get his attention.
Shifting my hands to clasp each other on my lap, I begin. "I'm sure you know how the Nomu has been under investigation ever since the USJ incident."
I watch him nod before continuing. "Well, after we got more of the Police Force and the Public Safety Commission involved, we've discovered quite a bit. Through some DNA analysis, we've discovered that the Nomu was once a human with a criminal record. Just some small time thug."
I watch Toshinori's eyes light up in surprise and he clears his throat before speaking.
"Have you tried investigating his family? Maybe some of his peers knew what happened?"
"Nothing," I reply, shaking my head. "Anyone that could've had a lead is dead and the few that recognized him only knew the barest pieces of information."
"But that's not even the strangest part." Sighing, I scratch the back of my head in frustration. "The analysis revealed to us that Nomu has the DNA of at least four different humans mixed with his own."
All Might pauses as the implications become clear and he stares out the window at the sunset.
"But," I begin with solemn look, "the real issue is that such an experiment is even possible. The Nomu could not have acquired multiple Quirks in any way…unless there was someone with an ability to grant Quirks."
Toshinori freezes and I offer him an apologetic smile. His shoulders tense as if a familiar weight has settled there again.
For a moment, he doesn't turn from the window. The gold of the sunset painting his profile in gentle colors at odds with the severity of the conversation.
"…So you've reached that conclusion too," he says quietly.
I don't answer right away, simply choosing to wait. Toshinori exhales, the sound carrying more years than his hero persona ever admits to.
"There is someone," he continues, "a man who could take Quirks from others and bestow them as he pleased."
I nod once. "All For One."
Saying the name feels like dropping a stone into still water, cascading into a giant wave.
Toshinori finally turns to face me with a grim expression. "I believed he was gone. Defeated beyond any chance of return."
"I believed that too," I admit. "But the existence of the Nomu suggests otherwise…and a few choice cases. I've been working with the HPSC for a while now. He's been staying hidden, and well at that too."
The room grows heavier and another silence presses in. Outside, the sun is finally starting to slip below the horizon, leaving the window dark enough to act as a mirror.
For just a second, I catch Toshinori looking at his own reflection, as if measuring how much of the Symbol of Peace remains.
"I should've dealt with him long ago." He whispers under his breath.
"There's more we need to discuss." I say, commandeering the focus back to me. "I know you'll do whatever it takes to support this pursuit."
He nods sharply, the familiar resolve returning to his posture.
"But we need to talk about your student."
Toshinori is taken aback and he tilts his head subtly in surprise. "Young Midoriya? While it hasn't been that long into the year, I've sent him to Gran Torino for more trai—"
"No, no." I cut him off, shaking my head. "We need to talk about another student of yours. Kanzaki Renji."
This time, the Symbol of Peace is truly taken aback. "Young Renji? Did something happen to him?"
I raise a hand calmly, stopping the tension before it can spiral. "Nothing happened to him," I clarify. "Not in the way you're thinking."
Toshinori doesn't relax much, but he listens.
"Renji has been assisting Principal Nezu and the other researchers with the Nomu investigation," I continue. "Officially, he's just another bright student helping where he can. Unofficially…" I trail off, choosing my words carefully. "He's much sharper than he lets on."
All Might's brows knit together. "Well, we both already know that much."
"Yes," I agree, "But we suspect the boy already recognized the abnormality in the Nomu's DNA long before anyone else had the chance of even coming up with the idea. He didn't say anything at first. Simply waited and let the others run their tests and ultimately reach the same answer on their own."
"What exactly are you playing at, Naomasa?"
"I'm not pointing fingers at anyone," I lift my hands in surrender, "but there is more to the boy than either of us can imagine. It'll be best to stay on your toes."
"While we may not have the best relationship," Toshinori begins with a sigh, "Renji is still my student. If you truly suspect he's doing something in the shadows, it's my responsibility to take care of it."
I want to say more, to somehow convince my old friend to work with us in creating a contingency plan in case of emergencies, but something stops me. Despite it all, his sense of responsibility shines through even in the darkest of times. And it's not like I want to use our close bond to steer him towards what I personally think is best. "I understand." I finally reply, noticing the familiar fire in his eyes. "Just stay careful. It's the most any of us can do under the looming threat."
—
Meanwhile~ {insert signature loading screen from the Big Bob}
[League of Villains Hideout]
"No."
"No?" Shigaraki questions, tapping the side of his chair. "What do you mean, no?"
"She is not a target to the grand plan." Stain replys ominously, shaking his head. "I won't do it."
The room quiets down at his words. In one corner, a tall shaded man can be seen with his arms crossed. Purple smoke wafts from his palms and head, creating an illusion of a monster made of pure smoke. At a seat of the bar, a young girl with light blonde hair spins in her seat, a grin sprouting on her face. She spins with childish glee, a glass cup in her hand containing a dark red liquid reminiscent of blood.
Before long, the sound of gnashing teeth can be heard as Shigaraki's eyes grow increasingly manic and his palms reach up to his neck. "There's more to be had you insignificant littl—"
Just as Shigaraki finishes his words, flashes of metal can be seen flying out in rapid succession, clipping both Toga and Kurogiri before they can react. At the same time, Stain lunges forward, overpowering Shigaraki in an instant and forcing him out of the chair and onto the hard floor.
Shigaraki grunts as a dagger digs deep into his right shoulder. Meanwhile, the knives sent toward Toga and Kurogiri fly back just in time for Stain to lick their blood and activate his quirk, stopping them in place.
"Kurogiri!" Shigaraki yells, watching a new dagger appear in the Stain's hand, reaching just below his neck. And yet, Kurogiri remains still, unable to use his Quirk or move his body to help.
The boss's eyes dart around, looking at Toga's still frame turning round and round on the stool before glancing back at me waving.
"Dabi!" He shouts angrily, "Do something!"
"Nah," I reply, shaking my head. "You brought this upon yourself."
That makes an even louder sound of gnashing teeth resound, only to be cut off when Stain speaks up.
"You know what you and your 'League of Villains' lack, Shigaraki?" He asks sinisterly, twisting the dagger slightly.
"Conviction." Stain answers himself in an almost fervent manner, as if the word was the reason for his existence. It very well might be."You and your little posse lack the creeds needed to accomplish anything. All I see are amateur villains that won't survive long enough to make a name for themselves."
His words bother me a little, but I keep quiet. He doesn't need to understand my conviction.
"Our society is flawed. Wouldn't you agree?" Stain repeats, "It's ran by fake heroes and villains throwing around their power in hopes of claiming a better prize."
Stain's dagger trembles as it hovers just beneath Tomura's jaw. His other hand lifts, spreading as he reaches for the grotesque hand clinging to Shigaraki's face.
That's when he moves.
Shigaraki's hand snaps up, his pale fingers gripping the blade without hesitation even as blood drops down onto his cheek. Then the metal begins to rot.
Fine cracks spiderweb across the dagger where his palm meets steel. Stain's eyes widen just a fraction, watching the blade rapidly crumble into flakes or dust on the floor. In seconds, the dagger is nothing more than a pile of ash spilling through Tomura's fingers.
Stain jumps back as a low, ragged laugh bubbles up from Shigaraki. It grows even louder as his red eyes lock onto Stain with a clarity at odds with his manic laughter.
"You're right about one thing," Tomura says, rising to his feet and kicking the chair away. "I don't have your noble little creeds."
He steps closer, a dark aura emanating from him. "But I do have a desire."
The word is filled with venom, a hate that brought this rag team of misfits together.
"I want to crush this society," his voice trembles with fervor. "The one that props up All Might like some untouchable god. I want to grind it down until there's nothing left! No more symbols, no more peace. Just ruin!"
Shigaraki's shoulders tremble again as a memory flashes in his mind. A low chuckle rises from deep within, his hand clutching at his hair. "And that boy…Kanzaki Renji."
"He's just the first step." He says in a deep sated whisper, an unbreakable decree echoing like a drum. I can almost see it in the air. He won't rest until Kanzaki Renji is dead.
The silence stretches between the two. Stain's eyes narrow at Shigaraki, as if reevaluating a blade he'd discarded so easily.
Then he straightens. "…I see," he murmurs.
Brushing his hands on his pants, Stain's expression turns thoughtful rather than hostile now. "Our paths are not the same. My blade exists to purge false heroes."
Suddenly, a crooked smile pulls at the edge of his mouth.
"But our desire to destroy the current society," he continues, "is the same."
"I tested your mettle, Tomura Shigaraki." He says, "Beneath that chaos, there is a creed. It's warped and immature, but it's real. A crooked seed buried deep."
Stain exhales through his nose. "I wonder what it will become."
Shigaraki says nothing, only grinning wider. His fingers twitch around as if eager to decay something else.
"For now," Stain declares, settling into a neutral pose. "I won't dispose of the League of Villains. I've seen you with my own eyes. That will suffice."
"But your feud with the boy—that is your battle to finish." He states, to Shigaraki's reluctant nod.
He turns his head toward Kurogiri, still frozen in place by the lingering effects of Bloodcurdle. "My business here is finished."
Stain's gaze sharpens, burning with a renewed passion.
"Return me to Hosu," he demands. "I have unfinished work."
//AN: After this arc is finished, I will be rewriting the previous chapters prior to the POV shift. It will be a separate novel from this one so stay tuned.